Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

cdwijs · 2012-05-23 07:06:05

Hi All,

When I install a package, pacman suggest that I install other packages as optional dependensies like this:

(11/11) installing totem                                                                                   [###############################################################] 100%
Optional dependencies for totem
    gstreamer0.10-ugly-plugins: Extra media codecs
    gstreamer0.10-bad-plugins: Extra media codecs
    gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg: Extra media codecs
    lirc-utils: Infrared Remote Control plugin
    libepc: Publish Playlist plugin
    libgdata: YouTube Browser plugin
    bluez: Bemused plugin
    grilo-plugins: Browse sidebar (remote media)
    pyxdg: opensubtitles plugin

Some of these are already installed on my system. I think it would be usefull that pacman checks if these are already installed. I would like something like this output:

(11/11) installing totem                                                                                   [###############################################################] 100%
Optional dependencies for totem
    gstreamer0.10-ugly-plugins: Extra media codecs (*installed*)
    gstreamer0.10-bad-plugins: Extra media codecs
    gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg: Extra media codecs
    lirc-utils: Infrared Remote Control plugin
    libepc: Publish Playlist plugin (*installed*)
    libgdata: YouTube Browser plugin
    bluez: Bemused plugin
    grilo-plugins: Browse sidebar (remote media)
    pyxdg: opensubtitles plugin

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Best regards,
Cedric

Shark · 2012-05-23 07:09:37

That would be great. It would be also great that the optional dependencies would be deleted if the explicitly installed package is gone. I don't know why this feature isn't already integrated. Does somebody have patch?

Ashren · 2012-05-23 07:35:27

cdwijs: Create a feature request here: https://bugs.archlinux.org/index.php?pr … x&switch=1

Shark · 2012-05-23 07:49:46

Here is a similar request posted in 2009.

tomk · 2012-05-23 09:10:46

Check the pacman-dev mailing list also, there may have been additional relevant discussion there.

And at the risk of stating the obvious, the best way to get a response from the devs is to submit a patch yourself.

Last edited by tomk (2012-05-23 10:01:01)

Allan · 2012-05-23 09:24:54

There is actually a patchset floating around that completely overhauls the handling of optdepends. It needs some work to get merged....

Leonid.I · 2012-05-23 16:20:11

Shark wrote:

That would be great. It would be also great that the optional dependencies would be deleted if the explicitly installed package is gone. I don't know why this feature isn't already integrated. Does somebody have patch?

I, for one, disagree. You see, hard dependencies are justified (as in there are some guidelines as to how assign them), optdeps are not (there can be cross-repo optdeps from lower-level repo to a higher-level one; if you promote optdeps to real deps, there can be dependency cyces, etc.). In pacman, otdeps = comments. So, I would really prefer to keep it that way.

Awebb · 2012-05-23 16:25:02

Allan wrote:

There is actually a patchset floating around that completely overhauls the handling of optdepends. It needs some work to get merged....

That is nice to read. So far all I though whenever reading the output was: "Nice, more bogus crap from the optdepends array…"

:-)

Shark · 2012-05-23 19:00:54

Leonid.I wrote:

Shark wrote:
That would be great. It would be also great that the optional dependencies would be deleted if the explicitly installed package is gone. I don't know why this feature isn't already integrated. Does somebody have patch?
I, for one, disagree. You see, hard dependencies are justified (as in there are some guidelines as to how assign them), optdeps are not (there can be cross-repo optdeps from lower-level repo to a higher-level one; if you promote optdeps to real deps, there can be dependency cyces, etc.). In pacman, otdeps = comments. So, I would really prefer to keep it that way.

It could be implemented some security measures that optdepends wouldn't be removed if this optdepends are tied to other packages too - like real dependencies are. It could be implemented the same system for optdepends as is for real dependencies.

Allan · 2012-05-23 20:34:29

If you want to know what has been implemented (but needs revision before merging...)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Us … OptDepends

Mr.Elendig · 2012-05-24 13:57:53

You can use this or similar to check right now:

pacman -T $(expac -Q '%o' totem)

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2012-05-27 13:44:17)

Leonid.I · 2012-05-26 16:42:43

Allan wrote:

If you want to know what has been implemented (but needs revision before merging...)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Us … OptDepends

optdepends can be removed with -Rs [done]

I don't mean to criticize especially if I haven't done anything about it, but this seems like an overkill. As i said, I don't think one should treat optdeps at the same level as hard deps. Perhaps, -Rso would be an alternative.

For example, suppose that some package X optdepends on a package Y from base. Package Y is not listed as a dep for any of the packages (that's the guideline?). Then, removing X will get rid of Y and break the system. Another example is less severe: X optdepends on Y, but I want to remove X (including its hard deps) but want to keep Y.

Allan · 2012-05-26 22:38:14

Umm... you do know the difference between packages installed explicitly and as dependencies?

Awebb · 2012-05-27 08:01:18

This sounds like optdepends marked as dependencies won't show up in -Qdt anymore.

Pajaro · 2012-05-27 12:57:27

Mr.Elendig wrote:

You can use this or similar to check right now:
pacman -T $(expac -Q '%O' totem | cut -d':' -f1)

Or if you want the list for all installed packages

for i in $(pacman -Q|sed 's/\ .*//'); do ODS=$(pacman -T $(expac -Q '%O' $i | cut -d':' -f1)); if [ "$ODS" ]; then echo $i: $ODS; fi; done

Mr.Elendig · 2012-05-27 13:05:44

Pajaro wrote:

for i in $(pacman -Q|sed 's/\ .*//'); do ODS=$(pacman -T $(expac -Q '%O' $i | cut -d':' -f1)); if [ "$ODS" ]; then echo $i: $ODS; fi; done

rtfm and see what pacman -Qq does

falconindy · 2012-05-27 13:14:52

And what expac's %o does...

Leonid.I · 2012-05-27 17:34:58

Allan wrote:

Umm... you do know the difference between packages installed explicitly and as dependencies?

OK... fair enough.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-05-23 07:06:05

Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#2 2012-05-23 07:09:37

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#3 2012-05-23 07:35:27

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#4 2012-05-23 07:49:46

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#5 2012-05-23 09:10:46

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#6 2012-05-23 09:24:54

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#7 2012-05-23 16:20:11

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#8 2012-05-23 16:25:02

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#9 2012-05-23 19:00:54

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#10 2012-05-23 20:34:29

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#11 2012-05-24 13:57:53

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#12 2012-05-26 16:42:43

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#13 2012-05-26 22:38:14

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#14 2012-05-27 08:01:18

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#15 2012-05-27 12:57:27

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#16 2012-05-27 13:05:44

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#17 2012-05-27 13:14:52

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

#18 2012-05-27 17:34:58

Re: Pacman: check if optional deps are already installed?

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