[Sysadmin] kpdf move to kdegraphics

[Christophe Devriese]

On Friday 29 August 2003 11:25, Andy Fawcett wrote:
> 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.

I don't think this is a problem. Only the header files could cause trouble by 
(attempting to) overwrite xpdf's headers

> 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?

As I said, the xpdf binary is linked in with the kpdf part, so it will not 
affect anything else. 

For the headers I could simply neglect to install them (the xpdf headers that 
is).

I need a way to give the local headers preference over /usr/include etc 
headers.

> 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?

I would try to do this in a reasonable timeframe.

> 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.

It would be a lot of work, and the kpdf author mixes source incompatible 
changes in with security fixes, so I think I'll have to live with this. 
However, I've sent a mail asking him about this.

Oelewapperke