From: Luis Lavena <luislavena@...>
Date: 2010-09-10T03:21:34+09:00
Subject: [ruby-core:32252] Re: Can we convert the standard library to gems?

On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 2:41 PM, Aaron Patterson
<aaron@tenderlovemaking.com> wrote:
>
> I think this kind of problem already happens today with Debian. �IIRC,
> doing a normal install of Ruby on debian doesn't provide openssl, you
> have to specifically ask for it.
>

The always hidden "apt-get install ruby-full"

Just o add the rationale here.

For example, certain libraires bundled with Ruby are not clear what
version are by clear query. (e.g. Zlib) it required introspection of
Zlib::VERSION to determine it.

Ruby 1.8.6 required us download independently zlib 0.6.0 and replace
the one bundled with Ruby. (Ruby for Windows case).

If stdlib was turned into "gems", a simple "gem list zlib" could show
up what version we were using.

Independent releases of these gems would have been posible (gem outdated).

This applies to rake and rdoc, bundled and exposed by gem list, but
not to json, which has some issues in the version bundled and newer
gem installation is required.

I've commented that Apple's "framework" approach can be taken and
these gems structure and exposition be vendored in a way that users
using the gem system can potentially benefit from visibility and
protect the removal of these vendored versions.
-- 
Luis Lavena
AREA 17
-
Perfection in design is achieved not when there is nothing more to add,
but rather when there is nothing more to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exup�ry