Re: error building balsa

[Telsa Gwynne <hobbit aloss ukuu org uk>]

On Sat, Feb 19, 2000 at 10:03:59AM -0800 or thereabouts, Gregory Leblanc wrote:
> > You don't say what system you're running. I wonder if it's Red Hat
> > Linux? 
> > 
> > Red Hat splits many packages into package.rpm and package-devel.rpm.
> > You only need to install the package-devel.rpm if you are going to 
> > build other programs which depend on that package. The thingy-devel 
> > package contains the files required to build programs which rely
> > on package thingy. If you're the sort of person who just wants to
> > install a system and go, so to speak, and won't be adding new things
> > other than more binary rpms, then you don't need the devel packages.
> > If you are going to compile stuff, you will.
> 
> To be fair, this isn't something that RedHat does, it's something that they
> designed RPM to do.  The other RPM based distros have the same "feature".

Ah, thanks :) I did ask on another list recently whether other 
distributions did this or not, and didn't get an answer. So I didn't 
want to say it was an RPM thing in case it wasn't :) 

> The idea was to allow people to avoid installing the "extra" stuff that they
> didn't need to have for a "home" computer, I.E. one that wouldn't be used
> for software development.  It's a really nice feature, once you figure it
> out.  :)

It's an excellent feature, yes! I agree totally, since I have had
machines with very little disk space and thus no inclination to
build anything on them. Being able to leave off the -devel packages
was great!

(It also saves drastically on downloads for those people who are
charged by the minute of online time. :))

I have seen a load of questions which have relied on "find the
package-devel.rpm" answers. Perhaps this should go into the FAQ?
The use of the devel rpms is spelt out on the RH page of 
http://www.gnome.org/start/ but lots of people seem to miss it.

Telsa