Re: [Axiom-developer] debian layout

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings!

Tim Daly  <address@hidden> writes:

> >Well said, and may I extend my complements for such an original and
> >sensible approach.  I suggest then that all documentation be in
> >axiom-doc, and that this be required by axiom (i.e. not optional).  I
> >can't include it in the same package as the binaries, as the
> >documentation is binary independent, and need not (cannot by Debian
> >policy) be duplicated 12 times in the archives.
> 
> >Perhaps the dependency relationships of the other packages need
> >altering as well?
> 
> Camm, please rephrase this. I'm unable to understand what you are
> proposing. What do you want to change and why do you want to change it?
> 
> Axiom seems to be colliding with debian rules based on some assumption
> in debian that code and documentation are separate, independent objects. 
> I'm now paying the pain for this very assumption in my old code that I
> now get to maintain and change. I'm questioning this assumption and
> believe that debian rules are flawed, at least in regard to Axiom.
> 
> If you ship source everything is pamphlet files.
> If you ship binaries everything will show up as dvi files.
> 

Thanks for this.  The Debian packaging structure need imply no
code/documentation separation for the end user -- its only a question
of how the material is stored in the archives.  I.e. .dvi files are
the same on m68k, mips, i386, ..., but .o files are not.  Debian has a
policy that we don't waste archive storage space by needlessly copying
the former 12 times, and as this space is charitably donated to the
Debian project, such a policy has clear merit :-).  Furthermore, there
are large multiarch site installations where people share binary
independent data via nfs under /usr/share -- this is part of the Linux
file system standard.  Binary specific data must go under /usr/lib.

This is not a problem vis a vis axiom, as the same apparent file
layout can be achieved via symlinks.  This is what is done in the
current trial packages.  (I can show you how to inspect the contents
of the packages without Debian being installed if you wish).

As for dependencies, each Debian package can declare relationships
with other packages, the most common of which are 'Depends:',
'Recommends:', and 'Suggests:'.  If package 'a' 'depends' on package
'b', it cannot be installed unless package 'b' is as well.  Right now
we have:

axiom:
  Depends: axiom-databases
  Recommends: axiom-source, axiom-doc
  Suggests: texmacs, axiom-tex, axiom-test, nowebm

axiom-test:
  Depends: axiom

axiom-tex:
  Depends: tetex-extra

with the other packages declaring no such relationships.

So for example, a user can install axiom and axiom-databases (the
.daase files) alone at present without the source, documentation,
test-suite files, etc.  The most popular Debian installation tool,
'apt', will pull in recommended packages as well by default, so a user
installing axiom thereby would also install axiom-source and
axiom-doc. 

What I was suggesting is that given your stated philosophy of axiom,
we might make axiom depend on axiom-doc, so that the two would be
inseparable.  Whether or not it is a good idea to enforce this
philosophy on people who might just want to save disk space might be
open for discussion, but the possibility is acceptable vis a vis
Debian policy, as the binary independent data has its own package and
is not replicated.

Please let me know if I'm still sounding muddled.  Its not you -- I'm
just pressed for time.

Take care,


> Tim
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Camm Maguire                                            address@hidden
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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."  --  Baha'u'llah