haskell / haskell/cabal

Separate `cabal install --lib` into own command (cabal env)

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#6,481 69 comments 26 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
cabal-install: cmd/install historical re: install --lib re: v1-vs-v2 type: discussion
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Description

... e.g. `cabal env`.

People do confuse what "installing libraries" and "installing executables" means, and after answering on few issues, I think stronger that separation of commands will make UX clearer.

An alternative is to drop `--lib` flag, and teach `cabal install` to do **the** right thing every time. I don't see how it would work.

---

edit by @fgaz: I'm hijacking the OP to raise the visibility of the **cabal env prototype**: https://github.com/phadej/cabal-extras/tree/master/cabal-env
help & feedback are welcome

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reading the issue discussion and the cabal-env prototype linked in the edit. Review the existing cabal install behavior and the prototype's proposed command boundary before proceeding. Done means an agreed design and implementation that clearly separates library installation from executable installation.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
haskell
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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