Provide library symlinks for building 32-bit code.

[Michael Moss]

Binary package hint: ia32-libs

Please add dev symlinks for the libraries provided in ia32-lib (e.g. /usr/lib32/libglib-2.0.so -> libglib-2.0.so.0). I realize this has been discussed in other bugs, but the reasons given seem rather weak or arbitrary, and the push-back seems disproportionate to what should be a minor change. Some of the arguments I've seen are that:

- Ubuntu doesn't support cross-platform development
Is it really cross-platform development when the result runs natively? When the distro-provided compiler supports it directly? When the distro provides other support packages for it (lib32*-dev)? It seems arbitrary to draw the line at a bunch of symlinks when all that other infrastructure is there.

- a proper dev package would be huge and get out-of-date quickly
Who needs another package? And what is all this stuff that needs to go in there? Simply adding dev symlinks for the libs already in ia32-libs would support a huge amount of 32-bit code, without bringing in a single new file.

- multiarch is the proper solution
And I can't wait to use it. Until then, and especially since we don't know exactly when "then" is going to arrive, a few symlinks doesn't seem like such an unreasonable stopgap.

- ia32-libs is a run-time-only hack
I could agree with this if there was another solution on the horizon. Since there's not, this seems arbitrary, especially for a "hack", which almost by definition is meant to break the rules :)

[Vianney le Clément (vleclement)]

I also think, these links should be provided. For example, android does not compile without the link /usr/lib32/libX11.so -> libX11.so.6).

[Alexander Chemeris (alexander-chemeris)]

Yeah, I also bumped into this problem with Android and has to create this symlink by hands.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package ia32-libs - 2.7ubuntu2

---------------
ia32-libs (2.7ubuntu2) jaunty; urgency=low

  * fetch-and-build: (LP: #298611)
    - Added (LP: #249794)
      + libmad0
      + libvorbis0a
      + libvorbisfile3
      + libuuid1
      + libwrap0 (LP: #290533)
      + libgsl0ldbl (LP: #130058)
    - Updated
      - libpulsecore8
  * This (or the last merge) upload closes as well:
    - Provide library symlinks for building 32-bit code (LP: #277772)

 -- Stephan Hermann <email address hidden> Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:33:10 +0000