Thread: Fedora based MeeGo = NoGo!
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ewan is offline ewan
2010-02-15 , 22:47
Posts: 445 | Thanked: 572 times | Joined on Oct 2009 @ Oxford
#53
Originally Posted by nightfire View Post
Ok, does the modern RPM install/removal process allow for interactivity? IE. can a package install query the user? I understand the original philosophy was to permit unattended installation, but is interactivity now possible?
No. I don't tend to find it a problem in practice, things are just packaged to expect configuration after installation if needed rather than as part of the install itself. And it allows automated installs without risking having it stop because you missed a debconf question in the configuration. That's probably of limited relevance on a Maemo type system though; I can't see much of a use-case for kickstarting an N900 :-)

Does it handle alternatives? If you install two packages which both offer the same binary, does the system handle which one is active through symbolic linking?
Yes. With a direct port of Debian's alternatives system.

Can multiple packages provide the same facility? Can other packages depend on that facility (ie. multiple JVMs offer "java" and one is enough to satisfy the dependency)?
Yes.

Does it allow advanced dependency overrides in the case of complex upgrades (ie. gracefully handling package cross-dependencies)?
Complex upgrades tend to work; I've done several Fedora major upgrades with yum. It's not strictly something Fedora support, but people generally try to make sure it works, and it usually does. I'm not sure exactly what you're thinking of when you say 'overrides' exactly though - if the dependency information is good and expresses the real dependency relationships between packages surely you want to use that information, not override it?