[Slackbuilds-users] Optional dependencies in info file

[Matteo Bernardini]

2015-11-29 18:10 GMT+01:00 Andrzej Telszewski <atelszewski at gmail.com>:
> On 29/11/15 17:56, Willy Sudiarto Raharjo wrote:
>>>
>>> What do you think about putting optional (available from SBo)
>>> dependencies in the info file?
>>> I think that would allow for further automation.
>>>
>>> What I have noticed is that, it's sometimes hard to go through the
>>> README and spot all the optional deps, because everybody writes README
>>> as she/he sees fit.
>>>
>>> Also, I don't know how, but it could be possibly worth if all the
>>> variables (like ENABLE_FOO=yes, DISABLE_BAR=no) could be gathered in one
>>> well structured place.
>>>
>>> This thoughts came to me when I wanted to build 'ffmpeg'. Well, not all
>>> of those thoughts, because SlackBuild for 'ffmpeg' is actually well
>>> written.
>>>
>>> But if some more rigid structure, possibly easily understood by
>>> computers, was enforced, it could make users' life easier.
>>>
>>> What do you think?
>>
>>
>> It's really up to the maintainer to set which deps should go into
>> REQUIRES since he/she is the one knows best about it. We only make sure
>> that it builds normally with all the deps mentioned on the README.
>>
>> my personal thought:
>> I like to keep the packages minimum and list all the optional ones in
>> the README. I don't want to have a bloated systems with all deps are
>> listed just to satisfy minor functionality
>
>
> Well, your the boss;)
>
> What do you mean by bloated system? If the optional deps are placed in the
> info file, then automated tools can benefit from that. It's still up to the
> user to decide if she wants them.
>
> Putting optional deps in info makes just for easier processing, I don't see
> any possibility of bloating here.
>
> And SBo maintainers could declare that optional deps are not tested.
>
> What do you think?

some points that comes to mind:
- optional dependencies in the info file will require nevertheless an
explaination of what they enable and that could make the info file
messy;
- some are autodetected, some require passing the script a variable to
enable them... there's no standard and not because we doesn't want it
to be but becauseit depends on the software in question;
- everybody should read the README of whatever they build from SBo in
*any* case.

Matteo