Opened 6 years ago

Last modified 3 years ago

#57099 new enhancement

[feature request] "replaces" keyword

Reported by: RJVB (René Bertin) Owned by:
Priority: Normal Milestone:
Component: base Version:
Keywords: Cc:
Port:

Description (last modified by RJVB (René Bertin))

The Debian/Ubuntu package manager has a feature that allows packages to register as a replacement for another package. This is a more direct complement to the MacPorts replaced_by feature.

I see a few points of interest to a "this port replaces this and that other port(s)":

  • it's not an EOL property; for instance, port:foo and port:foo-devel could both use replaces foo-devel and replaces foo respectively. This would streamline the process of switching between a port and its "devel" counterpart because the install/upgrade (or even activation) procedure for the one would first deactivate the other.
  • it should also streamline upgrades when a new port replaces more than a single port.

port:xorg-xorgproto is probably a good example for that second point. I had some issues when I did a (partial) upgrade using port upgrade outdated and "xorg-*proto". If xorg-xorgproto had registered the replaces list of all proto ports it replaces, those ports would all have been deactivated at once, when the first to-be-replaced proto port upgrade was being processed.

Change History (2)

comment:1 Changed 3 years ago by tobypeterson

Type: requestenhancement

comment:2 Changed 3 years ago by RJVB (René Bertin)

Description: modified (diff)
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