On Sat, Nov 02, 2013 at 11:20:51AM +1100, Roger wrote:
Why, when installing a new app do we need to also install the -libs
and the -devel if the app is needed to make another app work.
Why cannot -libs be part of the installation if they are that
important to the operation.
This is a good example of what we're talking about over on the development
list -- the new Gnome Software application installer, which presents
applications at a higher level without worrying about the packages
that make them up underneath.
Usually packages where the libraries are split out are done that way because
they can be shared by other programs, and those programs might not need the
whole application. This granularity isn't (usually) strictly necessary, but
makes the distribution a lot more flexible. One example would be a split
between a graphical interface and the underlying engine -- the engine could
be used on a headless server, without needing to pull in the graphical user
environment.
If you use the higher level application installer you don't have to worry
about this, and even if you use a moderately-low level program like `yum`,
it will pull in all the right packages.
Why are -devel, which I'm guessing are development files for the
app
needed, does this mean the app is bar minimum and cannot be used
when required by another app.
Those are only needed when *compiling* other programs, and are not needed at
runtime.
Sorry if I seem confused, Just trying to get a handle on the
situation.
No problem!
--
Matthew Miller ☁☁☁ Fedora Cloud Architect ☁☁☁ <mattdm(a)fedoraproject.org>