Created attachment 697959 [details] script used to measure size of the package installed,although one could see it through packagekit Description of problem: I am the culprit for this bloat problem https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=750317 ghc-ghc-devel is for hacking on ghc, it is the entir ghc platform(compiler,RTS etc as a library). This pacakge should not be part of base install Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): ghc-7.4.1 this package takes up too much space (~ 240 MB installed) and 34 MB puts considerable strain on bandwidth and diskspace (OK not so much on diskspace,but would be nice to get rid of it) How reproducible: just install ghc, 'yum install ghc' Steps to Reproduce: 1.yum install ghc 2.say yes 3. Actual results: installs static library of entire ghc, which is not required for those Expected results: should not install ghc-ghc-devel package as part of base install. Additional info: This bug, is due to another request by me regarding quickCheck. Bug 750317 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=750317 *note the title changed* This is what Jens wrote : " > Maybe we really want the ghc base package to be a meta package > that pulls in "everything" to make the initial install friendlier > for newcomers. Ok, ghc-7.0.4-36.fc17 should provide a base metapackage which installs all of ghc (ghc-compiler and ghc-devel). So in future if you install ghc you will have a working QuickCheck, etc out of the box. " I should have said no to it at that time itself, but i was not very well-informed (not that I am now, just less ignorant),by adding ghc-ghc-devel, we have internals/implementation of ghc as static library not static/devel packages of quickCheck,parsec etc. {I am pretty sure about this} I think it is correct and OK (infact necessary) to provide, -devel packages by default for libraries of haskell, like ghc-parsec and ghc-parsec-devel, ghc-xml and ghc-xml-devl,ghc-pango and ghc-pango-devel etc. but ghc-ghc-devel is going too far. Only those who hack on ghc need this (specifically who want to hack on this particular version others will track and program for latest git/darcs version). I think, it is possible to make this change. no ghc-ghc-devel in base install,but whenever one installs any other library corresponding -devel packages should also be installed I didn't realize about this space problem, untill I ran out of space on my old Fedora 16 on my root partition, found out that ghc installation took ~530 MB installed space. I am not sure about ghc-compiler package though, anyone more experienced in haskell packaging can chime in. I think this thing, needs better testing and some discussion so no need to hurry out the changes, so that we make sure we do the right thing.
I humbly apologize,to all fedora users, who downloaded and installed ghc after the changes of to fix the previous bug mentioned in the description above. One may be interested in this question, about general bloatedness of GHC, one of the main GHC developer answered(accepted) this question. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4858585/why-is-ghc-so-large-big
(In reply to comment #0) > I am the culprit for this bloat problem Why do you install the main "ghc" binary package? > this package takes up too much space (~ 240 MB installed) > and 34 MB Then don't install it. :) > Expected results: > should not install ghc-ghc-devel package as part of base install. If you don't want ghc-ghc* installed then you can just install the ghc-devel (ghc-libraries) metapackage instead. > This is what Jens wrote : " > > Maybe we really want the ghc base package to be a meta package > > that pulls in "everything" to make the initial install friendlier > > for newcomers. > > Ok, ghc-7.0.4-36.fc17 should provide a base metapackage > which installs all of ghc (ghc-compiler and ghc-devel). > So in future if you install ghc you will have a working > QuickCheck, etc out of the box. > " > by adding > ghc-ghc-devel, we have internals/implementation of ghc as static library not > static/devel packages of quickCheck,parsec etc. Pardon? > but ghc-ghc-devel is going too far. Only those who hack on ghc need this > (specifically who want to hack on this particular version others will track > and program for latest git/darcs version). So just "yum remove ghc-ghc". > I didn't realize about this space problem, untill I ran out of space on my > old Fedora 16 on my root partition, found out that ghc installation took > ~530 MB installed space. Yes there are a lot of big libs and they take up space. If you don't need them then it is find to remove them. > I am not sure about ghc-compiler package though, anyone more experienced in > haskell packaging can chime in. What about it?
Additionally if you install haskell-platform instead of ghc then you will not get ghc-ghc-devel installed either. I think this is Notabug and no plans to change the current packaging. But I still welcome feedback and suggestions how to improve/present the packaging better.
(In reply to comment #2) > (In reply to comment #0) > > this package takes up too much space (~ 240 MB installed) > > and 34 MB > > Then don't install it. :) > > > Expected results: > > should not install ghc-ghc-devel package as part of base install. > > If you don't want ghc-ghc* installed then you can just > install the ghc-devel (ghc-libraries) metapackage instead. > > > This is what Jens wrote : " > > > Maybe we really want the ghc base package to be a meta package > > > that pulls in "everything" to make the initial install friendlier > > > for newcomers. > > > > Ok, ghc-7.0.4-36.fc17 should provide a base metapackage > > which installs all of ghc (ghc-compiler and ghc-devel). > > So in future if you install ghc you will have a working > > QuickCheck, etc out of the box. > > " > > > by adding > > ghc-ghc-devel, we have internals/implementation of ghc as static library not > > static/devel packages of quickCheck,parsec etc. > > Pardon? > > > but ghc-ghc-devel is going too far. Only those who hack on ghc need this > > (specifically who want to hack on this particular version others will track > > and program for latest git/darcs version). > > So just "yum remove ghc-ghc". > uninstalling ghc-ghc-devel also gets rid of ghc package(base O MB) but then again why should I download 34 MB if I know I am gonna uninstall it anyway ?. I think it is natural for anyone who wants to install ghc, to do yum install ghc , the problem is ghc-ghc-devel is set as dependency, I can't install ghc without ghc-ghc-devel. I don't want to install haskell-platform, it comes with some other things, which I don't need/want or even know how to use. My request is simple, remove ghc-ghc-devel package from the deps of ghc. I can live with current deps (grudgingly :)),but would be cool if u remove some bloat though.
If I remove it then I will get bug reports from others complaining "why doesn't Fedora's ghc include the ghc library?". Like your original report. ;-) I have no plan to change this. I feel the current behaviour is what most people would expect. But if you have a good suggestion for a better name of the meta-subpackage that doesn't install ghc-ghc-devel then that would be helpful. (Currently it is "ghc-libraries" which also provides "ghc-devel".) What do you use ghc for?
(In reply to comment #5) > If I remove it then I will get bug reports from others complaining > "why doesn't Fedora's ghc include the ghc library?". > Like your original report. ;-) > > I have no plan to change this. I feel the current behaviour > is what most people would expect. > > But if you have a good suggestion for a better name of > the meta-subpackage that doesn't install ghc-ghc-devel > then that would be helpful. (Currently it is "ghc-libraries" > which also provides "ghc-devel".) > > What do you use ghc for? how about ghc-minimal? like it should give, ghci(interpreter),ghc(compiler),runghc for shebang style-scripts and the standard libraries with -devel of each of them. At the time of my original bug-report, I was just learning haskell, I now prototype data-driven programs in haskell, before writing them in fortran/C. I used to do that in python previously, even now I use python heavily, just that haskell is way cooler :)
Hmm, "ghc-minimal" sounds smaller than the current ghc-libraries, maybe close to current ghc-compiler. Let me think more about the name.
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Still no better idea about the name. I guess not many people look for/install ghc-libraries rather haskell-platform. Conversely I have also been asked why Fedora haskell-platform does not install ghc-ghc-devel... These days I encourage people to use cblrpm to install depends of cabal packages via yum.
Closing this for now.