Bug#698026: libsoup should recommends vs. depends on glib-networking

[Trek]

Package: libsoup2.4-1
Version: 2.38.1-2
Severity: wishlist

libsoup actually depends on glib-networking for the SSL/TLS support and,
probably, the automatic proxy configuration. The installed size of
libsoup is 522KB, where glib-networking depends on 8 other packages
with a total installed size of 2183KB.

glib-networking contains three GIOModules, that are shared modules
explicitly linked by libglib with a dlopen, only if they are available.
So they not treated like shared libraries where programs fail to start
if not available.

Also, for the SSL support, libsoup fails nicely if the relative
GIOModule is absent, suggesting the user to install glib-networking:

https://mail.gnome.org/archives/commits-list/2011-February/msg00703.html


Reducing dependencies is particularly useful for embedded systems, like
the GPE Palmtop Environment, where gpe-calendar depends on libsoup.


I patched the control file of libsoup to actually not depends on
glib-networking and all run fine. I tested it with gpe-calendar and it
runs with http urls. If https urls are used it returns the error
suggesting to install glib-networking. In this way I saved 2.2MB and
installed 4.1MB.


This patch should also resolve another bug:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=665468


Ciao
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