[maemo-developers] Optional build dependencies (e.g. for fremantle)

[From: Jeremiah Foster]

On Mar 17, 2009, at 1:38 PM, Till Harbaum / Lists wrote:

> Hi,
>
> i am currently trying to prepare the osm2go package to build for  
> fremantle. I've
> fixed most things, but one thing still lacks: How do i specify  
> "would like
> to have" build dependencies?

When you say "would like to have" do you mean "suggests"?

> E.g. i'd like to rely

The term for rely in debian packaging language is "depends" - is this  
what you mean?

> on table-browser-interface-dev. But this isn't there yet for  
> fremantle.

Hopefully I will be pulling some of the packages from diablo into  
fremantle, I'll put this down as one of the first candidates. :^)

> So if i have it in the build-depends line in the control file the  
> fremantle build breaks.
> If i don't put it there it won't be installed in any autobuild  
> process, hence it won't be used
> in chinook/diablo autobuild.
>
> How do i specifiy a package that i'd like to use during buikd but  
> that i can cope with
> if it's not there (yet)?

This mechanism should not exist, simple because it would make things  
very hard to reproduce. The goal is to have a single set of  
requirements (as much as is possible) and have that single set of  
requirements be your build target. This way we have the best chance of  
the package building on every one else's device and environment.

So the best solution is to introduce all your build-depends into  
fremantle. If you are only missing one build-depends, that is not too  
bad, should be easy to add to the repos.

Jeremiah