On 03/30/2012 02:40 PM, Darrell Anderson wrote:
> Installing the same files from two different packages might seem inefficient, but does not break anything. The breakage occurs when the package manager removes files blindly. Seems like the Arch package manager default settings are more restrictive than other package managers by not letting the installation proceed without using the --force parameter. :) Not bad or good, just more restrictive. To me, the removal end is more important.
> 
> Darrell

I agree and I cuss pacman every once in a while for it. It is more restrictive
and it does a very good job. I just wish it was smart enough to:

if diff pkg1/file.x pkg2/file.x; then
  install the darn thing
fi

But.. then you screw up (or complicate) the package manager database regarding
who owns what on the system. I think this is where other package managers are
smarter than pacman. Their package databases seem to be able to do this on the
fly while pacman doesn't. Because in the above example, you would need to expand
it to:

if diff pkg1/file.x pkg2/file.x; then
  install the darn thing
  update_pkgmgr_db(pkg2/file.x, owned by pkg2)
  update_pkgmgr_db(pkg1/file.x, owned by pkg2)
fi


-- 
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.