[packagekit] What-Provides for Python modules?

[Richard Hughes]

On 22 July 2011 12:30, Matthias Klumpp <matthias at nlinux.org> wrote:
> To make PackageKit support this, I would add a new enum
> "PK_PROVIDES_PYTHON". Python tools which do e.g. "import xapian" can then
> search for a package providing Xapian using the search-string "xapian". To
> specify the Python version, the search would have to be "python3(xapian)".

I think mandating the use of either python3() or python2() is a good idea.

> To be useful, backends need to implement this feature, so: Which backend
> does and which does not support searching for Python dependencies? Backends
> need to store metadata about Python modules somewhere... (In APT, Python
> modules can be searched via the package-name itself)

In yum, I guess adding the provides to the python packages makes
sense, but certainly searching my filename would be a good workaround.

> And one question in general: Do you think it makes sense to extend the
> what-provides search to GIR data and other stuff which is primarily useful
> for developers too? (Of course, users will benefit from it indirectly too)
> We can already search for fonts, firmware/hardware-driver, modaliases,
> codecs, mimetypes, postscript-drivers, plasma-services and libraries in
> general.

Yes, I think the GIR data is going to be more important as time goes
on, and probably a good thing to add.

Richard.