Bug#591054: cl-asdf: circular dependency with common-lisp-controller

[Faré]

>> Apparently, all dh_lisp does for source code is run
>>  clc-update-customized-images
>> which recompiled "customized images" that use the library.
>>
>> But I see nothing to produce those "customized images".
>> Is anyone using this feature? Probably not.
>> This possibly makes the whole thing a red herring.
>>
>> Maybe we don't need common-lisp-controller at all?
>> All we need is make sure every debian implementation can
>> (require :asdf) and get a recent asdf2. Since asdf is self-upgradable,
>> we don't need to enforce a same system-wide asdf2 for all implementations:
>> you (require :asdf), and if you want whichever is system installed, you can
>> (asdf:load-system :asdf).
>
> c-l-c seems not only a asdf caller.  I think cl-asdf is different from
> other cl- packages, because those packages all depend on it, it must
> be loaded before any other package.  In current c-l-c mechanism, asdf
> is compiled into implementation during the impl's installation.
>
Yes.

To survive with minimal modifications to existing software, I recommend that:

* we modify dh-lisp to *NOT* create a dependency on c-l-c for source packages,
 only for binary packages.
* we re-package a cl-asdf 2:2.004-2 with this new dh-lisp.
* now c-l-c depends on cl-asdf but not the other way around.

Indeed, the dh-lisp created packages post-install scripts:
* check whether c-l-c is installed, and do nothing if it is not.
* therefore do not really depend on c-l-c


In the long run, my proposal is to:
* get wholly rid of c-l-c and dh-lisp
* just make sure that (require :asdf) will work on all lisps,
 possibly depending on cl-asdf at build time to include a precompiled
 version of the latest packaged asdf, when asdf isn't already
 provided by the implementation (clisp?).

Advantages:
* less maintenance
* behavior closer between debian-installed and other-installed lisps.

Disadvantages:
* none that I know of. Does anyone use the /et/common-lisp/images feature?


[ François-René ÐVB Rideau | Reflection&Cybernethics | http://fare.tunes.org ]
Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined.
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