FPC repackaging
Summary
Split the fpc
package (the Free Pascal Compiler) into several sub-packages (built from the same spec file).
Owner
- Name: Artur Frenszek-Iwicki
- Email: <fedora@svgames.pl>
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora Linux 38
- Last updated: 2023-01-17
- devel thread
- FESCo issue: #2933
- Tracker bug: #2161763
- Release notes tracker: #956
Detailed Description
The fpc
package will be split into three packages:
fpc
- the compiler itself, plus utility programsfpc-ide
- the terminal-based TUI IDE (/usr/bin/fp
)fpc-units-ARCHNAME-linux
- pre-compiled units (think "FPC's stdlib") for developing programs for Linux
The "units" subpackage will be a shared dependency for both fpc
and fpc-ide
.
Benefit to Fedora
The TUI IDE will be moved to a separate package, slightly reducing the download size for packages requiring FPC to build.
Putting Linux units in an fpc-units-ARCHNAME-linux
package will create a precedent which can be used in the future for introducing cross-compilation packages, like fpc-units-x86_64-win64
for MS Windows.
Scope
- Proposal owners:
- Edit
fpc.spec
as required and rebuild the package, preferably before the Mass Rebuild.
- Edit
- Other developers: No action required.
- Release engineering: No action required.
- Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)
- Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
- Alignment with Objectives: N/A
Upgrade/compatibility impact
After upgrading to Fedora 38, users interested in the TUI IDE will need to manually install the fpc-ide
package. For those not interested in the TUI IDE, there will be no impact.
How To Test
A copr repository has been created where users can test out the modified package: copr/suve/fpc-split.
This copr repository also modifies the spec to build units for MS Windows (x86_64
only), allowing for cross-compilation.
User Experience
For users not interested in the TUI IDE, this Change will slightly reduce the install size (about 1.5 MiB for the IDE plus another 3.5 MiB for its dependencies).
Since the TUI IDE does not launch the compiler as a sub-process, but rather contains an embedded copy of the compiler, users who use only the IDE and not the standalone compiler will benefit in a similar way - they will be able to install just the IDE, without the main compiler package.
Dependencies
None.
Contingency Plan
Worst case scenario - give up, revert to an old version of fpc.spec
and rebuild the package.
Documentation
N/A (not a System Wide Change)
Release Notes
The fpc
package no longer includes the terminal-based TUI IDE. Users interested in the IDE should install the fpc-ide
package.