[Rpm-metadata] Debian metadata (was Re: format misc)

[Jeff Licquia]

On Wed, 2003-10-08 at 15:45, Jeff Johnson wrote:
> Jeff Licquia wrote:
> >FWIW, RPM does have Pre-Depends.  It's called "PreReq".
> 
> Please, please, please let PreReq: die, there is absolutely no reason to 
> distinguish
> this marker (for rpm purposes) any more.

Oops.  Sorry for bringing up an old boat-anchor.

> >So, the mapping should be:
> >
> > Depends: -> <requires>
> > Pre-Depends: -> <prereq>
> 
> OTOH, if apt needs syntax to express Pre-Depends, then I'm all in favor of
> permitting the XML syntax. Just please, please, please do not use for 
> rpm purposes,
> Requires: is more than sufficient, and you cannot possibly need to 
> expose this legacy
> artifact to any kinown rpm depsolver.

Debian needs Pre-Depends because dpkg batches unpack and configure
stages of package installs; Pre-Depends forces dpkg to batch a package
and its dependency in separate batches, so the dependency is fully
installed before the other package install starts.

I'm not aware of apt-rpm needing PreReq-style functionality; its
dependency tree should be correct as you describe.

If RPM PreReq needs to die, then I'm not opposed to some other syntax,
so as not to confuse the RPM side.