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Date:      Thu, 14 Jun 2018 21:57:35 -0600
From:      Adam Weinberger <adamw@adamw.org>
To:        mqudsi@neosmart.net
Cc:        freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Removing git dependencies on perl5 and python27
Message-ID:  <CAP7rwciw%2BhzTcH1qrdTix1HJKci9-PVmzXfyeVk6OYbg7DgGDg@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <CACcTrKebiP4BCK6F6FaCV8wJggstcSxmSGv9d=iFzYdtaLn-sw@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <CACcTrKebiP4BCK6F6FaCV8wJggstcSxmSGv9d=iFzYdtaLn-sw@mail.gmail.com>

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On Thu, Jun 14, 2018 at 8:16 PM Mahmoud Al-Qudsi <mqudsi@neosmart.net> wrot=
e:
>
> Hello list,
>
> I'm probably not alone in considering git to be a core development tool,
> perhaps just a notch or two below the C compiler. `git` and `sudo` are th=
e two
> packages I first install (after `pkg` itself) on any machine, and in many
> cases that suffices to get a basic development environment going.
>
> However, the git package currently brings in a host of unwanted dependenc=
ies,
> and I *believe* they can be done without.
>
> This is the complete dependency graph for the git package [0] (generated =
with
> the newly-minted pkg-graph [1]). It pulls in perl5 and python27, both siz=
eable
> packages and both not required to use git.
>
> While git can be compiled without some of the additional dependencies suc=
h as
> expat or pcre, this results in a "crippled" git lacking in some core feat=
ures,
> and requires special build-time definitions like NO_EXPAT or NO_PCRE pass=
ed to
> the git Makefile. The other dependencies like curl, pcre, and gettext are=
 also
> relatively small and typically part of even the most minimal system, but =
perl5
> and python27 are full-blown runtimes for interpreted languages that have
> fallen out of favor and have been successfully stripped from FreeBSD core=
 (and
> even many Linux distributions).
>
> I'm sure these packages are not just there to have a good time and they s=
erve
> some purpose and enable a subset of the git functionality, but my questio=
n
> here today is whether that functionality is worth its weight in dependenc=
ies,
> and whether the ports team is open to seeing the git package stripped of =
these
> dependencies.
>
> (Obviously the option of adding a "git-lite" package =C3=A0 la "vim-lite"=
 also
> exists, but I think it's fair to say that would be an ugly and unnecessar=
y
> compromise.)
>
> [0]: https://goo.gl/hozu1b
> [1]: https://github.com/neosmart/pkg-graph

Agreed. I'd personally much rather see small default packages and
-kitchensink slaves, than massive default packages and -lite slaves.
It's always struck me as odd that our git package comes with CVS and
Perforce support.

# Adam


--=20
Adam Weinberger
adamw@adamw.org
https://www.adamw.org



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