> > I understand, but why then have been built vtk, vtk-python, vtk-qt, > > and vtk-tcl packages but only a combined vtk-devel package which > > depends on the former ones? > > This might be a parallel to pidgin-perl or libpurple-tcl, but there is > only one pidgin-devel package. The reason perl or tcl was split out > into sub-packages is because the vast majority of users don't need the > perl or tcl capability, but including them in the main package caused > all users to pull in tcl and perl when they were not necessary. > > -devel on the other hand is not meant to be installed except by > developers. It might pull a large number of things, also needed only by > developers. This is not inconsistent. > > Warren First of all, vtk-devel at least pulls in vtk-python, vtk-tcl, vtk-qt, tcl, tk, qt beyond packages that were already required by the base system. Are these packages specific to developers? I doubt so. Moreover, what you call developers are not necessarily hardcore developers of the package under consideration, so it might be simple people who just need/want to build an application based upon the VTK toolkit. As a matter of fact, Fedora does not even include a single application that uses any of vtk, vtk-python, vtk-qt, vtk-tcl [well, vtk-examples and vtk-testing but that probably doesn't count]. Apart from using 3rd party binaries, any person interested in the vtk package necessarily is what you call 'developer'. So, the term 'user' essentially loses any meaning in this context. Finally, the case of the plplot package shows that my initial request is by no means exotic, and I maintain my point that it would be sign of userfriendliness not to impose unneeded packages like the ones enumerated above on a user of the vtk package. -- Der GMX SmartSurfer hilft bis zu 70% Ihrer Onlinekosten zu sparen! Ideal für Modem und ISDN: http://www.gmx.net/de/go/smartsurfer -- fedora-devel-list mailing list fedora-devel-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-devel-list
