> In the example I used above, you could mix and match easily, choosing php, > php-mysql5, and php-pgsql (for core linked pgsql) just by choosing those > packages. That's not too hard. I assumed since this is the devel list, and > since this thread was referring to php, that particular package layout would > be understood. Not every package links in this manner though, so yes, it > could get confusing for packages that don't (although the more distinct > libraries a package links to, the more likely it is to compartmentalize > them). To nit-pick your example: This isn't hard on the user side. On the builder side however, this requires amazing amounts of work, including multiple builds per arch based on linking package-sets, and multiple copies of repositories to build against. There is not really a nice way to automate a build of this style and the reward is not worth the effort. Even for php, which does separate out and would be 'simple' it is still a very complex process on the back end. -- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. George Orwell