[csw-maintainers] Packages that require either package A or package B'

[Philip Brown]

On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 01:05:21PM -0500, Mike Watters wrote:
> Philip Brown wrote:
> > But how is that even processable?
> > 
> > if you apt-get [somepackage], and that package
> > "depends on mysql|postgres", and neither is installed...
> > What happens?
> 
> If Neither is installed it errors out normally.
> if both are install it just installs.

pfft.

Sounds like there isnt much reason to hack that kind of
"multiple|optional dependancy' into the pkg delivery system then.
We could accomplish basically the same thing by other means.

To take the database dependancy specifically; 
I'm thinking some kind of generic database wrapper tool package.
Kinda like CPAN::DB, but for shellscripts :-)
Then packages could depend on CSWdbwrapper, and use the appropriate
tools in there as needed.

With preference as to WHICH database to use, set in csw.conf locally, as I
suggested in my other email today.

Not only does it solve the "problem" in that area, but it would solve it
BETTER than how debian 'solves' it.

How does that sound?