Re: Compat packages

[Jonathan Perkin <jperkin%joyent.com@localhost>]

* On 2019-06-14 at 13:56 BST, coypu%sdf.org@localhost wrote:

> I assume we've discussed wanting to do this in some variation in the past,
> and people have their opinions all set up.
> 
> For the purpose of building wine32 as a package on 64bit machines, we will
> (unquestionably) need 32bit packages. So I have a first working draft.
> 
> Please list your wishlists and desires of this feature. I can try to fulfil
> all the requests. I'd like to do it so it doesn't block wine (we have a
> GSoC project for it).

For the record we (Joyent) worked on a similar feature a number of
years ago that combined 32-bit and 64-bit libraries (and occasionally
binaries) into a single package.

The tree is here:

  https://github.com/joyent/pkgsrc/tree/joyent/feature/multiarch/trunk

with the main commit being:

  https://github.com/joyent/pkgsrc/commit/feddbc9c9a18689df495a5c25effe2e3494b4206

Eventually I had converted around 350 packages to multiarch, and we
shipped it as an image for users for around 4 years.

Due to the significant cost of maintaining a separate tree, the low
level of interest in it, and the general trend away from 32-bit we've
stopped shipping it now, but the approach may be one that can be
followed for this.

I have no personal interest in supporting multiarch any more so do not
have an opinion on what will be best, just offering up a suggestion.

-- 
Jonathan Perkin  -  Joyent, Inc.  -  www.joyent.com