libc6-dev should be loaded by default IMHO

[Chuck Adams]

since gcc is automatically installed by default from the desktop
distribution for amd64 and i386, i would have thought that the
header files normally used by all C-programmers would also
be loaded by default.

how about libc6-dev and(?) linux-libc-dev installed by default.
this eliminates considerable time by new arrivals to kubuntu
and ubuntu that are experienced C-programmers and who
would later help on projects C-related.

humbly submitted,

thanks

Chuck

[Matthew Woerly (nattgew)]

I was going to say that gcc is a dependency, but it's really not. I have to agree with you on this one.

[Matthew Woerly (nattgew)]

I'm going to change this to Ubuntu, as it is a request for a package to be defaulted.

[Matthew Woerly (nattgew)]

Sorry, wasn't sure exactly how that worked, now I know.

[Adam Conrad (adconrad)]

If GCC is being installed by default, that sounds like a bug to me, it's certainly not part of any of the sets of packages that SHOULD be installed by default.

If you're using a high-level package manager (ie: not apt-get) to install gcc, it will recommend that you also install libc6-dev at the same time. There are legitimate reasons to not require that libc6-dev be installed when GCC is (it's definitely not required to make GCC work), so we won't add it as a hard dependency ever.

[Chuck Adams (k7qo)]

On Thursday 27 March 2008 11:43:57 Adam Conrad wrote:
> If GCC is being installed by default, that sounds like a bug to me, it's
> certainly not part of any of the sets of packages that SHOULD be
> installed by default.
>
> If you're using a high-level package manager (ie: not apt-get) to
> install gcc, it will recommend that you also install libc6-dev at the
> same time. There are legitimate reasons to not require that libc6-dev
> be installed when GCC is (it's definitely not required to make GCC
> work), so we won't add it as a hard dependency ever.

Adam,

Thanks for the email.

For both beta 8.04 and the daily build from last night (March 28)
upon install 'gcc' is indeed loaded by default. I have not done
an install of gcc by any means, I promise..... :-)

which gcc returns

/usr/bin/gcc

and a compile of a test program with

#include <stdio.h>

returns an error that stdio.h is not found, since libc6-dev is not
installed.

I think that gcc and libc6-dev should be installed by default,
since there is a high probability that users of Linux will either
develop code (such as myself) or possibly add packages
from other sources that require the use of gcc. But the
decision is up to you and the team. Just announce
the standard disposition of gcc and we'll do the rest.

Thanks,

Chuck

--
Chuck Adams, K7QO
<email address hidden>
http://www.k7qo.net/

Moving to Arizona? Bring your own water, please.

[Neil Munro (neilmunro-deactivatedaccount)]

Ubuntu-Desktop is the meta-package that contains all programs to be installed by default, right?

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I am changing this bug's status to Fix Released as I believe it is now resolved in Intrepid. Below is the output of 'apt-cache show libc6-dev' in Intrepid:

Package: libc6-dev
Priority: optional
Section: libdevel
Installed-Size: 11396
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core developers <email address hidden>
Original-Maintainer: GNU Libc Maintainers <email address hidden>
Architecture: amd64
Source: glibc
Version: 2.8~20080505-0ubuntu7
Replaces: man-db (<= 2.3.10-41), gettext (<= 0.10.26-1), ppp (<= 2.2.0f-24), libgdbmg1-dev (<= 1.7.3-24)
Provides: libc-dev
Depends: libc6 (= 2.8~20080505-0ubuntu7), linux-libc-dev
Recommends: gcc | c-compiler
Suggests: glibc-doc, manpages-dev
Conflicts: libstdc++2.10-dev (<< 1:2.95.2-15), gcc-2.95 (<< 1:2.95.3-8), binutils (<< 2.17cvs20070426-1), libc-dev
Filename: pool/main/g/glibc/libc6-dev_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu7_amd64.deb
Size: 2590166
MD5sum: b4f7c1b0c8688a3b97b96a64152b774e
SHA1: 3613b413bbd5ccd89a911fcf159ac15d3c572247
SHA256: 871f76199d77c94d1bb3ffa488cd41211cd097d0ab132bbe324bd74105453c36
Description: GNU C Library: Development Libraries and Header Files
 Contains the symlinks, headers, and object files needed to compile
 and link programs which use the standard C library.
Bugs: mailto:<email address hidden>
Build-Essential: yes
Origin: Ubuntu
Task: ubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-desktop, edubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-desktop, mobile-mobile

As you can see it is part of all the -desktop tasks.