[CentOS] packaging :: why would a x86_64 package depend on i686 packages?

[Adrian Sevcenco]

On 01/30/2014 03:28 PM, Jason Pyeron wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: John R Pierce
>> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 4:21
>>
>> On 1/30/2014 1:17 AM, Adrian Sevcenco wrote:
>>> Hi! I recently encountered a situation when a x86_64 package is 
>>> dependent on i686 packages..
> 
> RPM and Specfile please? Also if it is not a CentOS package try:
> rpm-list at lists.rpm.org .
> 
>>> Does anyone with packaging experience know why this could 
>> be necessary?
>>> What arguments (logical and technical) can i bring to the said 
>>> packager in order to stop this chain of dependencies?
>>
>> I suspect that would depend on just what this package is, and 
>> what 32bit packages its dependent on.

Hi everyone! The question was purely academic (in the sense that i think
that this is wrong but i don't have the experience and knowledge to have
arguments for my opinion).
The package in question is from a particular science-related repo and i
i got an answer that the package is that way because there are potential
users that use i686 software (in the context that that software is only
supported for x86_64 distros..)

So: are there any best-practices rules that say :"do not mix arch in
packages, better split them" ?

Thanks!
Adrian