effect of checkinstall debs

[Liam O'Toole]

On 2010-03-16, Patton Echols <p.echols at comcast.net> wrote:
> On 03/15/2010 02:33 AM, Liam O'Toole wrote:
>> On 2010-03-15, Patton Echols <p.echols at comcast.net> wrote:
>>   
>>> I wanted to experiment with darktable 
>>> (http://darktable.sourceforge.net/)  The only .deb on the website is for 
>>> 64bit.  I was able to compile from the source after tracking down an 
>>> number of -dev libraries.  I used checkinstall to create a deb and have 
>>> a working installation.
>>>
>>> Here is the question:
>>>
>>> If I provide that deb to other users, will dpkg resolve dependencies?  I 
>>> assume the foo-dev libraries are only needed for compiling.  But if dpkg 
>>> will not resolve conflicts, is there some way that I can find out the 
>>> dependencies so that users can know what they are?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> --PE
>>>
>>>     
>>
>> Examine the .deb file using the command 'dpkg --info <filename>'. Is
>> the 'Depends' field completed correctly? If so, then higher level tools
>> such as apt-get and aptitude will be able to resolve dependencies when
>> you distribute the .deb file to others.
>>
>>   
> Hmmm, no that field is blank.  Not sure how to figure out what the run 
> dependencies are vs the build dependencies.

Me neither.

> I guess I am correct in 
> assuming that the 'dev' files would only be needed to build.  

Correct.

> Is there a 
> standard way to specify run time dependencies?  (So i would know where 
> to look in the source or some other file?)
>

Looking briefly at the checkinstall documentation[1], I couldn't find
anything helpful. I get the impression that the utility was written by a
Slackware user, who is not likely to be concerned with trivia like
dependencies ;-)

[1] http://www.asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/docs/README

-- 
Liam O'Toole
Birmingham, United Kingdom