Re: RPM Soft dependencies (Was: Re: Agenda for the 2009-05-26 Packaging Committee meeting)

[Miroslav Suchý <msuchy redhat com>]

Toshio Kuratomi wrote:
> What is the behaviour when a package with soft deps on another package
> is upgraded and the soft dependency is currently not installed?

I do not know how Mandriva handle it, but in Debian it works like this:

Old package A require nothing.
New package A:
	Require B
	Suggest C

$ apt-get upgrade
Following package will be upgraded:
	A
Suggested packages:
	C
Following packages will be installed to satisfy dependecies:
	B
Install [Y/n]:

I.e. requires are automatically picked up. But suggested packages are 
not selected and you get only information about them.

And if you install using some higher tool (aptitude, dselect), after you 
 leave screen with package selection, then screen like this will appear:

Installed/Selection  	Name	Version	Available Version
yy			A	1.0	2.0
_y			B		1.0
__			C		1.0

And you may or may not select the suggested package.

--
Miroslav Suchy
Red Hat Satellite Engineering