[Slackbuilds-users] Clarification of REQUIRES and dependencies

[David Spencer]

>> The disagreement occurs when package 1 depends on packages 2 and
>> 3, and package 2 depends on 3.  Should 3 be listed in 1's
>> REQUIRES?
>
> for me, it's a no
> When you want install 2, you will need to install 3 and by then you
> will have 2 and 3 installed.
> Adding all deps may not be a problem for a package which doesn't have
> so many deps, but consider packages that have LOTS of deps, it will be
> a huge job for the maintainer to track all "direct" deps.

I think you mean "indirect" deps (level 2)?  To me, "direct" deps and
"level 1" deps are the same thing?

But what about updates.  If a new version of 3 builds with a different
soname, both 1 and 2 need to be rebuilt.  If 3 is not listed in 1's
REQUIRES=, how will we know that 1 needs to be rebuilt?  This is not a
theoretical question -- slackrepo already this kind of upgrade
automatically.  (And it uses dep trees, not queues, so it doesn't
overlink accidentally.)

Of course if 1 has no code that uses 3, then of course 3 should not be
in 1's REQUIRES, but I don't think anything breaks if it is in
REQUIRES= ... just some unneccessary rebuilds when 3 is upgraded.

Best regards
-D.