On Mon, 7 Feb 2000, David Maxwell wrote:

> On Sun, Feb 06, 2000 at 11:52:15PM -0600, Frederick Bruckman wrote:
> > On Sun, 6 Feb 2000, David Maxwell wrote:
> > 
> > > 5. static libraries (.a) distributed with a package don't need to 
> > > be installed when:
> > You mean, if dynamic libraries are installed? Then, yes, install the
> > static, too, so the choice can be made with flags to "ld".
> 
> Specifically I was thinking when a pkg generates .a files which it
> doesn't install at all, by default.

Then I would guess that you would _not_ want to install those. If the
interface isn't documented, who else is going to use them?

> > > 6. {INSTALL_MAN_DIR} should be used instead of ${MKDIR} when:
> > > (A) Creating ${PREFIX}/share/[docs|examples|man]/X
> > IMO, it looks better to go with the highest level of abstraction,
> > INSTALL_DATA_DIR or INSTALL_MAN_DIR, but it's not like you could
> > usefully override this particular one to set a policy, since many
> > packages do "mkdir -p ${PREFIX}/man/man1" in their own makefile.
> 
> These are only meant to concern the pkg Makefile. If I write questions
> about patching the Makefiles/scripts that come with a package, I'll
> specifically ask 'override the...' There are pkgs that MKDIR and
> packages that INSTALL_xxx_DIR currently.

All I meant was, you can't set a system wide policy by setting
SHAREGRP, for example, as even if the pkgsrc Makefiles consistently
used "INSTALL_DATA_DIR" rather than "${MKDIR} ...", many packages
would still violate the intention by creating their own directories.
Therefore, it really doesn't matter.

> > > 8. Packages with options for supporting NetBSD features (i.e. IPV6)
> > > should be:
> > I wish someone would tell me. :-)
> > I would upgrade wwwoffle to 2.5c, but I'm holding off because I can't
> > get around the ipv6 patches.
> 
> Personally, I think it makes sense to commit, and maybe drop an email
> to here... but I want other opinions, not mine ;-)

The upgrade without ipv6 is trivial, and it's not like there's any
hurry. 

> > > 9. Creating a new pkgsrc category 'exper' to distribute new utilities
> > > proposed for future NetBSD releases, or test versions of utilities is:
> > "cvs co othersrc/README"
> 
> CVS or AnonCVS add a level of complexity, which weeds out a percentage
> of people who might try something that is available in pkgsrc.

What sort of new utility, exactly, do you have in mind?

> (Even if one could check it out now.)

I suppose that's just an oversight. There's not much in there now
anyway--two utilities, and one (url2pkg) is also in pkgsrc.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
-Philip K. Dick