While we're talking about RPM dependencies ...

[Richard W.M. Jones]

On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 02:40:36AM +0200, Kevin Kofler wrote:
> Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
> > I'm not arguing that's how yum works now, but it doesn't have to work
> > that way!
> > 
> > It could incrementally download the RPMs during depsolving, test that
> > they work together, and with that information download further
> > packages as necessary ...
> 
> I don't think that's practical, at all. For one, it'd mean a lot of wasted 
> downloading if the transaction turns out to be unresolvable. There are 
> probably also other practical issues with that idea.

Transactions shouldn't ever be unresolvable (barring gross errors such
as network being completely unavailable or every mirror being down).

I think it should be possible to make repos that are always
self-consistent even when mirrors only partially mirror or delay
content.  I have in mind a great proof of this, but this email is too
small to contain it.

Rich.

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