Bug#444009: Vim with language plugins (python, ruby, perl, tcl) requires X11.

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

On Tue, Sep 25, 2007 at 01:15:57PM +0100, Benjamin A'Lee wrote:
> Would it be possible for versions of vim-{python,ruby,perl,tcl,full} to be
> built without GUI support? Currently, if I want the Ruby interpreter
> support on a headless server, it's necessary to install 40+MB of X11/GTK+
> and related libraries that will never be used.

Uhm, no, I would say that removing X11 support from vim-{python,...}
variants is not an option since it has been like that for ages and users
are accustomed to that. Also, going that way would mean that the only
way to have X11 support will become install vim-full, while I believe
that X11 support is a fairly common request.

Also providing pairs of vim variants with interpreter support and X11 or
no X11 support is not desirable due to archive bloat.

What I see as feasible would be to have a new variant which is basically
vim-full but without X11 support, we could call it "vim-nox" (for "no
X11") following the naming scheme that we can found in other packages.
That would mean that you will still need to pull in libraries supporting
the other interpreters you will not use, but diminish the need of X11
libraries which I bet is the largest slice of the issue.

What do you think?
Comments from the other maintainers?

Thanks for your report, Cheers.

-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli -*- PhD in Computer Science ............... now what?
zack@{cs.unibo.it,debian.org,bononia.it} -%- http://www.bononia.it/zack/
(15:56:48)  Zack: e la demo dema ?    /\    All one has to do is hit the
(15:57:15)  Bac: no, la demo scema    \/    right keys at the right time
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