Review request: Kcmgrub2

Michael Jansen kde at michael-jansen.biz
Wed Apr 6 19:43:40 BST 2011


> > You might also want to consider using KDE's
> > macro_optional_find_package() together with macro_log_feature(), so you
> > show a list of all the dependencies which have or have not been found
> > instead of failing at the first one.
> > 
> > I remember some discussions before about build-time and runtime
> > dependencies in applications written in Python, but I can't remember the
> > outcome. Someone with a distro hat should have more information about
> > this.
> 
> Thanks, I'll look into this.

I think i can summarize. NEVER check for runtime dependencies on compile time. 
And since all python/ruby/perl dependencies are runtime dependencies just 
don't check for them in a makefile whatever.

When starting the app try to import what you need and bail out gracefully if 
something it missing. A small upfront method that checks if all mandatory 
dependencies are there is all that is needed.

in ruby

begin
	require 'whatever'
rescue LoadError
	$stderr.puts "Required library whatever is missing.'
	exit -1
end
[... repeat as required]

Python can do the same

And then document all required and optional dependencies in a readme so the 
packagers can add the required dependencies to the package they will build.

Mike





More information about the kde-core-devel mailing list