[Sysadmin] kpdf move to kdegraphics

[Andy Fawcett]

On Friday 29 August 2003 11:57, Dirk Mueller wrote:
> On Friday 29 August 2003 05:31, Christophe Devriese wrote:
> > I would like to request that the move of kpdf to kdegraphics be
> > carried out, unless of course there are serious objections.
>
> I don't quite like the whole copy of xpdf sources in there :/ (I
> don't have any better suggestions on how to do differently though).
> Is there any lib or so to use instead?

Some general notes about including third-party functionality in KDE 
releases, rather than specifically kpdf...

1. If the application/library/header is installed to the same prefix as 
the original application/library/header, with the same name (I'm mainly 
thinking libraries here, application names are easily changed), you 
will probably end up with a packaging conflict. Some OS/distros have 
seen this already with the copy of Timidity provided in kdemultimedia.

2. If the library/application/header in KDE has been modified (again, 
mainly libraries) and is installed to a different prefix, is it 
possible to ensure that the original application works okay with KDE's 
version of the libraries/headers, just in case the order in ldconfig is 
changed?

3. What happens when the upstream release an incompatible API change, 
say for a new version? Would the application in KDE be updated to 
match, given point #2 above?

Again, please note I am not talking about kpdf/xpdf in this case, just 
some generalities that should be observed wherever possible.

It's not always possible to say "well, just use K<app> instead of <app>, 
it solves the problem", some installations out there are definitely 
multi-user, where some people don't want to use KDE applications.

I agree with Dirk's suggestion of using a shared library where possible, 
it's by far the best way. And yes, I accept that this may not be 
possible.

Regards,

Andy

-- 
Andy Fawcett                                     | andy at athame.co.uk
                                                 | tap at kde.org
"In an open world without walls and fences,      | tap at lspace.org
  we wouldn't need Windows and Gates."  -- anon  | tap at fruitsalad.org