Hi pkg planners and developers,

I've been reading and talking with the authors of 
http://wikis.sun.com/display/IpsBestPractices/Packaging+Best+Practices+-+Metapackages+and+Incorporations
 


I have a core product consisting of a bunch of packages as well as 
optional components consisting of two to several packages. I plan to 
produce "metapackages" consisting solely of dependencies upon "content" 
packages which would allow my users to install the product or a 
component by specifying just the metapackage.

It seems that uninstall is not so easily accomplished. I have a 
workaround and a suggestion.

Workaround: define another metapackage, this time strictly empty. All 
content packages have a dependency on the "removal metapackage" enabling 
recursive uninstall of the entire group based on one metapackage name.

Suggestion: IPS to implement a package attribute, 'metapackage=true,' 
which would mean that the contained dependencies would be treated as 
reversed during uninstall, thus enabling the dependencies both to be 
automatically installed and uninstalled. Maybe there should be 
enforcement that nothing other than dependencies are contained, but I'm 
not sure it's necessary.

Comments?  thx,  --emk
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