Re: [Caml-list] We need a rich standard library distributed with OCaml, really

["Stéphane Glondu" <steph@glondu.net>]

Le 31/08/2015 18:14, Francois Berenger a écrit :
>>> Depending on external libraries used to be a problem when there was no
>>> consensus on OCaml packaging (no longer than a few years ago people
>>> where reluctant to even use ocamlfind). We now have a reasonable
>>> consensus on a packaging story, and installing third-party libraries
>>> has never been as easy as it is today -- except on Windows, meh.
>>> I think you should embrace the idea of depending on software outside
>>> the OCaml distribution.
>>
>> Depending on a multitude of external libraries makes packaging more
>> difficult. I am talking about "system" packaging (deb, rpm...) here, not
>> OPAM. And "install OPAM first" is not a very satisfactory way of
>> installing some software written in OCaml in a stable environment.
> 
> Why not?

Packages in OPAM do not benefit from QA done in e.g. Debian or Fedora.

Besides, a regular Debian user (for example) is used to Debian policies,
not OPAM ones. Don't assume that anyone wanting to use software written
in OCaml is part of the OCaml community. I am happy as a Debian user to
not have to deal with CPAN / CTAN / PyPI / whatever.

> In my experience, opam installs are quite reproducible.

In my experience, they are not...

> You can even specify the version number you want to install.

... but I've never tried that. Aren't old versions of packages removed
at some point?

> [...] opam install things in a user's home
> directory, which is not what you want for a system-wise installation of
> a software/library.

AFAICT, opam only "trusts" packages to install things in a user's home.


Cheers,

-- 
Stéphane