RFE: ensure sub-packages are kept in sync automatically

[pmatilai]

The vast majority of packages out there have at least one sub-package, and most of them want to ensure the sub-packages stay in sync with the main package, simply to avoid having to test and/or support packages with arbitrary theoretically legitimate combinations which can lead to time-consuming corner-case bugs. So on top of all the automatically generated soname dependencies and such, we have specs full of constructs like this to force it:

Requires:       %{name}%{?_isa} = %{version}-%{release}

This is ugly and error-prone boilerplate in specs, and sometimes creates artificial dependency loops that mess up with ordering. And so on. Rpm should automate this somehow, and that somehow should not include littering packages with umphteen more dependencies automatically, but something more intelligent.

[voxik]

Actually, I think it would be much better if this was used instead:

Requires:       %{name}%{?_isa} >= %{version}-%{release}

Being too strict makes various problems during updates.

[pmatilai]

Eh? Subtle mismatches between packages is pretty much the crux of the problem.

But clearly, one size does not fit everybody so there needs to be a way to disable whateverthisendsupbeing where necessary.