Commands and system repository
Sebastien Lambla
Hi guys,
Quick question for you. The system repository is being changed to behave better in the face of conflictual package dependencies. Take a very simple example:
openrasta-devtools depends on openrasta-core which depends on openwrap 2.0
my-tools depends on openwrap 1.0
In those circumstances, my-tools will get openwrap 2.0, potentially breaking a lot of stuff.
In 2.0 I’m making a change to system-wide install, so that each “installed” package has its own dependency tree, and one only get an update for one installed package based on a correct resolution, nothing else. Do note that those are going to go in a different folder than the 1.0 wraps folder, that’s to increase compat without breaking 1.0 and also because the 1.0 repo is going to continue being used as a download cache, including for 2.0 (and we’ll make use of hard links if you’re on ntfs and on the correct platform, otherwise we’ll copy, with an upgrade to OpenFileSystem to include some of that functionality).
Question is, if the same command (say, add-wrap) is available both for openwrap 1.0 or openwrap 2.0, which one do we show at the command line? I could go with the latest one, but what if two packages with the same version have different sub-dependencies (because they’re effectively installed by a different component)?
So here’s the solutions as I see them (any further ideas would be very welcome):
1. Assume user always mean whatever last version is installed, and use that
2. Assume none of that and provide a choice of version, using a –Source 1.0
3. Assume none of that and provide a choice of originating package, using –Source [installed-package-name]
4. A combination of those:
a. Use the latest if only one command exists, otherwise
i. Force –source 1.0
ii. Force –source [package-name]
This is rather important, so please provide feedback early to avoid disappointment :)
Seb