[MPlayer-dev-eng] Slackware package (tgz, like deb/rpm) support

[Rich Felker]

On Thu, Nov 17, 2005 at 11:50:29PM +0200, Ivan Kalvachev wrote:
> 2005/11/12, Rich Felker <dalias at aerifal.cx>:
> > On Sat, Nov 12, 2005 at 10:40:23AM +0200, Ivan Kalvachev wrote:
> > > 2005/11/12, Rich Felker <dalias at aerifal.cx>:
> > > > On Fri, Nov 11, 2005 at 09:36:06PM -0200, Herbert Alexander Faleiros wrote:
> > > > > > * don't disable mga/xmga
> > > > >
> > > > > I disabled it because Slackware appears to not use it.
> > > >
> > > > No dist includes it because it' spart of mplayer. You have to install
> > > > it manually if you want it. But users may want it, and it does no harm
> > > > (no added dependencies, tiny code size) to include it.
> > >
> > > I am for keeping mga removed.
> > > That's because mga driver is not part of the kernel, so mplayer
> > > package should install it (even compile it for the given kernel) or
> > > let the user do it (it that case the user is already skilled enough to
> > > compile mplayer on him own).
> >
> > There are two options:
> > 1. Stupidly omit mga from mplayer binary. Then users who want it have
> > to compile all of mplayer AND the mga_vid kernel module.
> > 2. Include mga in mplayer binary. Then users who want it only have to
> > compile the kernel module.
> >
> > Obviously option 2 is better in the absence of any other
> > problems/issues.
> 
> I wonder how you can call yourself MPlayer developer and not advice
> users to compile mplayer from source in every possible situation.

I do advise compiling from source, but if we're going to make binary
packages they should not be crippled for no good reason!

> Pre-made packages are used by people not skilled enough to compile
> mplayer on their own. So it is not expected they to start compiling
> kernel modules on their own.
> 
> As side issue, the kernel module source code must be included in the
> ready package, and users must be instructed to compile it.
> I'm sure Richard is enough paranoid to never let some non official
> package to put binnay modules in him kernel.

Eh? I don't install ANY outside binaries so it's irrelevant to me, but
I don't see any reason it's bad to use binary kernel modules if all
your other software is also obtained as binaries...

> > > Giving that the number of lusers that have matrox card (~ ->0), it
> > > just doesn't worth the trouble.
> >
> > What trouble????
> >
> > That's right, there is no trouble. This vo module is tiny and has no
> > possibility to do anything wrong! It's there if people want it, and if
> > not, they can ignore it. IMO there shouldn't even be a --disable
> > option for features like this, much less should we disable them in
> > packages..
> 
> That's what other people call BLOAT.
> 
> Well, if you are going to include mga drivers, then I would request
> equal treatment for the other specific drivers like 3dfx, tdfx etc...
> I don't have mga, but I have voodoo3 :P

Yes, they should be included too. There's no reason to omit features
that don't have dependencies. (10k of code is not bloat. Bloat is
dependence on another package, especially a 5-10meg library!)

Rich