On Sun, May 26, 2002 at 03:23:37PM +0200, Tibor Pittich wrote: > ok, second example i don't read exactness. here is defined: if > complette package needs for fully functionality some other package, use > Requires tag. ok. but if we apply first cite literal: "some packages, if > include any script which requires interpreter, use Require", here is > question. why package which contain docbook, tex, sgml or another > formated documentation is not Require interpreter? i know, it is another > bad example;)
I'd argue that for the proper operation of a program that the renderer for it's documentation isn't necessary. The program will still work and if you don't intended to read the documenation on that machine there is no reason to install those things. I seem to recall there's even an option someplace in the installer to install without man pages. While the installer works while ignoring dependencies, if every package directly required man this would make it a real nightmare to do upgrades on a box where for some reason you chose not to install it. Thus the reason man is required by basesystem (and yes I know you weren't directly talking about man but I think it shows the rationale behind the documenation issue). > i'm awake, that my first post is only _lobing_ for conservation > razor-agents requirisity for spamassassin and i think that i argue good > (default config (5 points), guarantee 99.94% hit) which result for me, > that spamassassin require razor for promise application functionality, > not binary funcionality (i repeat, and again sorry, i'm abuse this thread > for discusion about kerberized network clients). There are lots of other packages that improve the usefulness of other packages. It would be absolutely ridiculous to include these as Requires. webmin isn't very useful without a webbrowser, but nothing makes you install mozilla. And so on ad nauseum. You have to draw the line somewhere. I think you should draw the line with requring packages that will make the software *BREAK* if they are not installed. And then we ought to patch RPM to have a Suggests tag or use the post script for everything else. See my previous email for more info on this. -- Ben Reser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://ben.reser.org We tend to see all wars through the lens of the current conflict, and we mine history for lessons convenient to the present purpose. - Brian Hayes
