Re: postgresql packages, PG_SUBPREFIX and CONFLICTS

[Joerg Sonnenberger <joerg%britannica.bec.de@localhost>]

On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 01:27:58PM +0300, Aleksey Cheusov wrote:
> - When pkg_add is given a package having files that belong to
>   already installed package, it exits with error.
> 
> - When pkg_add is given a package that CONFLICTS with installed
>   packages, it fails with error.

Now you have hit exactly one of the reasons why I object to the
redundant CONFLICTS: they make fixing things *more* painful. Consider I
want to use two packages with overlapping file lists. I have one
installed already (*cough* the more common one like coreutils *cough*)
and want to also install the second one (9base) now. Well, I am told it
doesn't work. Let's spend a few minutes to figure out how to fix this.
Well, this patch works. Let's install it the fixed package. Oh, crap.
Doesn't work, I also have to fix and rebuild coreutils because someone
was so helpful to make them mutally exclusive. I know that coreutils and
9base have been adjusted in the mean time, but replace them with any
other conflicting pair and the issue remains.

Another of the interesting issues has been mentioned on chat lately. Why
do many of the entries create conflicts with the package itself? That's
just insane.

I wouldn't be surprised if there can't be a single global database of
known-to-conflict packages, built automatically e.g. on ftp.netbsd.org.
The list doesn't change that much between operating systems after all.
Worst case is that a package manager can still just ask the user for
revalidating the conflict by running pkg_info on the remote package,
that doesn't fetch the whole package after all.

Joerg