versions in RDEPENDS etc.

[Andreas Oberritter <obi@opendreambox.org>]

Hi all,

looking for examples in Git, I found the following entries using
"(<$version)":

> $ git grep -E '^(RDEPENDS|RPROVIDES|RRECOMMENDS|RSUGGESTS|RREPLACES|RCONFLICTS)'  | grep '<'
> recipes/networkmanager/netm-cli_0.2.bb:RDEPENDS_${PN} = "python-dbus python-pygobject python-textutils networkmanager (>=0.6) networkmanager (<0.7)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RCONFLICTS_${PN}-tshark = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RREPLACES_${PN}-tshark = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RCONFLICTS_${PN}-wireshark = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RREPLACES_${PN}-wireshark = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RCONFLICTS_${PN} = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"
> recipes/wireshark/wireshark_1.2.6.bb:RREPLACES_${PN} = "tshark wireshark (<1.0.5)"

From what I've read, the control file format of opkg should match the
control file format of debian packages. Also, it looks like the
variables grepped for above are written unmodifed to control files.

The Debian Policy Manual [1] states: "The relations allowed are <<, <=,
=, >= and >> for strictly earlier, earlier or equal, exactly equal,
later or equal and strictly later, respectively. The deprecated forms <
and > were used to mean earlier/later or equal, rather than strictly
earlier/later, so they should not appear in new packages (though dpkg
still supports them)."

Also: "For consistency and in case of future changes to dpkg it is
recommended that a single space be used after a version relationship and
before a version number;"

Should the recipes be updated accordingly? Would such changes require PR
bumps?

Regards,
Andreas

[1] http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html