FreeType circular deps for extended capabilities (with HarfBuzz)

[hajgato]

We might have to put in order FreeType (its with a circular dep for extended capabilities):
FreeType recommends HarfBuzz
HarfBuzz recommends FreeType
Solution would be:

1. install FreeType without HarfBuzz
2. install HarfBuzz (with FreeType without HarfBuzz)
3. reinstall FreeType (with HarfBuzz)

We could use the new easyblock easybuilders/easybuild-easyblocks#979
see #3440
Putting the installation order to
FreeType
HarfBuzz
FreeType
then we would have a FreeType-HarfBuzz bundle.
Thoughts?

[boegel]

@hajgato not sure the enhanced ConfigureMake is a good approach here, and not a big fan of listing the same thing twice either (for normal extensions, this would mean the 2nd one is just skipped)

[hajgato]

@boegel: well, this is one more reason to extend the Bundle and not to use enhanced ConfigureMake. Plus implement "force reinstall" for (this kind of) circular deps. I am sure there are a couple of similar, just I bumped this one recently. Alternatively, this could be solved using an EasyBlock for FreeType-HarfBuzz (or HarfBuzz-FreeType?) , but maybe a general solution would be better?

[boegel]

@hajgato how about simply including the Freetype without Harfbuzz as build dep when installing Harfbuzz? Would that work?

[hajgato]

@boegel: I was thinking about it, but its a circular dep.
This might work:

1. install FreeType (dep none)
2. install HarfBuzz (buildep FreeType)
3. install FreeType (dep HarfBuzz-Freetype [from 2])
   Here we have FreeType withHarfBuzz, but no HarfBuzz with Freetype as a dep
   So then we have to make a HarfBuzz with dep [from 3].
4. install HarfBuzz (dep FreeType from[3]) will give us 2 HarfBuzz, the installed one and HarfBuzz [from 2].
   How would you name those modules? What would you do with the double HarfBuzz?

[hajgato]

@boegel: plus you have to load [from4], if you need FreeType

[boegel]

Urgh, what a mess... Is that how it is also done by other projects, e.g. RPMs?

Also, does the installation of both HarfBuzz and FreeType actually differ with the dependencies included? Or is the recommendation just to use them together?

[hajgato]

@boegel: HafBuzz extends the functionality of FreeType. I guess, For HarfBuzz a non extended functionaluity FreeType would be enough, but never checked. But then in this case, we would have two FreeType if we load HarfBuzz, one standard and one extended. Anyway, this is needed for extended capability FreeType only.

[Micket]

I think it's safe to say by now that we haven't been hurt to much by missing out on whatever the extended functionality in freetype might have been (and circular deps would be a massive problem to deal with)