dependency hell

[Dan Kegel]

Robert Graham Merkel wrote:
> On Thu, 17 May 2001 12:43:51 Dan Kegel wrote:
> > I'd love to help you folks QA this, but I won't be able to
> > unless you provide all the RPM's I need to install on
> > Red Hat 7.1 to install yours.  There's no way the average
> > user should have to hunt them down.  And tonight, I feel like
> > a very average user...
> 
> We do package the ones that aren't commonly available:
> 
> ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/g-wrap
> ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/guppi (which provides most of the
> dependencies you're missing)
> 
> As to your complaint about tracking down libraries, I totally
> agree with you!  That's why I use Debian, which automatically
> tracks down and installs dependancies for me . . .

The real problem might be that none of the web pages at
gnucash.org (even the download and software requirements pages)
mention that Gnome 1.4 (which has only been out five weeks!) 
is required for gnucash-1.5.

I am well aware of rpmfind.net, and as an earlier reply indicated,
the RPMs one grabs from there are a mixed bag.  I'm not sure I'm
willing to trust them 100%.  I'd be much happier with an authoritative
set of links on the gnucash web page.  The 'Requirements' page is
helpful for developers, but nowhere near easy enough for average users.

Given gnucash.org's lack of handholding in this regard, and
the tone of half of the responses ("Go use RPMFIND.NET, you lamer!")
to my post, I seriously question whether you're going to find many
users willing to slog through the steps needed to get gnucash up
and running.  

When I realized that it was going to take a lot of work to satisfy
the dependencies, I went and downloaded moneydance.  And guess what?
It worked right off the bat.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  Performance
was adequate for the task, and I got the reports I needed.
Competition is good, they say; I'm looking forward to gnucash learning
from its competition, and the 'lost sale' here.
- Dan