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From: "lhall@pop.ma.ultranet.com" <lhall@pop.ma.ultranet.com>
To: fergus@bonhard.uklinux.net, cygwin@cygwin.com
Subject: RE: Setup and dependencies
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 10:43:26 -0400
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Setup is not meant to limit the user's options with their selections.
It insures that dependencies for a package that the user selects also
get selected.  It doesn't automatically unselect packages which depend
on a package unselected.  I'm sure this could be a mode in which setup
would work but it would be a more limiting mode which some others wouldn't 
want.  So it would be an option only IMO (perhaps the default??)  Anyway,
if you're interested in seeing this happen, a patch will help make your
point if you're so inclined.  Otherwise, you can certainly just wait and
see if your query/suggestion inspires someone else to take up such a cause.

Larry

Original Message:
-----------------
From:  fergus@bonhard.uklinux.net
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 14:02:31 +0100
To: cygwin@cygwin.com, fergus@bonhard.uklinux.net
Subject: Setup and dependencies


In between the two extremes of "basic" and "complete" installations of
Cygwin, setup allows the user to make their own selection from what is on
offer. As a simple example of what can happen, it is possible to select man,
and de-select groff. After installation is completed, any attempt to use man
will fail, because (as is made explicit in setup.ini) man requires groff.

I can see that with 228 packages to choose from (today) the dependence graph
becomes moderately complex: but are setup.exe and setup.ini presently
intended to supervise this aspect of a user's installation and prevent such
"illegal" selections? (In which case I think this is a failure.)

(I can also see that setup.ini offers all necessary relevant information to
the user, who might reasonably be expected to put some intelligent effort
into achieving a sufficient choice for glitch-free behaviours. But it's
precisely because this becomes so difficult so quickly, that automated
invisible supervision from setup would be so much appreciated.)

Thank you.

Fergus


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