[ANNOUNCEMENT] Updated: python packages

[Brian Inglis]

On 2021-03-07 13:44, Ken Brown via Cygwin wrote:
> On 3/7/2021 2:34 PM, Marco Atzeri via Cygwin wrote:
>> On 07.03.2021 17:58, Ken Brown via Cygwin wrote:
>>>> I have a CI job which runs 'setup -q -P python3,python3-lxml'.  It's nice if 
>>>> that gets me something where "python3 -c 'import lxml'" works, and doesn't 
>>>> require changing every time the default python version is updated.

>>> Currently python3 is a meta-package whose main purpose is to require the 
>>> default python version (currently python38).  Marco, couldn't you just make 
>>> python3-foo a meta-package that requires the corresponding python*-foo 
>>> (currently python38-foo)?

>> the issue is that Cygport creates the "obsolete" python3-foo
>> that is replaced by python36-foo automatically.
>>
>> we should change cygport to use python38 instead
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>> $ cat python3-lxml/python3-lxml-4.6.2-1.hint
>> category: _obsolete
>> requires: python36-lxml
>> sdesc: "Obsoleted by python36-lxml"
>> ldesc: "The python3-lxml package is obsolete.  Selecting this package for
>> installation will cause the python36-lxml package, which replaces this
>> one, to be installed instead."
>> external-source: python-lxml

> As long as you have to patch cygport anyway, maybe it would be better to have 
> cygport create an empty (but not obsolete) package.  I think users might find it 
> confusing that they have to install an obsolete package to get what they want.  
> Also, obsolete packages are normally hidden in the setup UI.

Hidden generic/virtual package selections in Debian apt/-get and other package 
managers are annoying as users (I!) don't know how to do anything when they find 
out about them e.g.

	$ apt show exim
	Package: exim
	State: not a real package (virtual)
	N: Can't select candidate version from package exim as it has no candidate
	N: Can't select versions from package 'exim' as it is purely virtual
	N: No packages found

Suggest adding a category like ~Generic or ~Virtual to sort out of the way but 
be selectable if you search for Python, Perl, Ruby, etc.

I have been unable to find any definitive category list where that might be 
checked, except in cygwin-apps/calm/genini, and I believe that is not being used 
any more, as it is missing Debug but includes obsolete Mingw.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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