[Hackage] #234: track installed files to allow uninstall

[Hackage]

#234: track installed files to allow uninstall
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
  Reporter:  duncan         |        Owner:                
      Type:  enhancement    |       Status:  new           
  Priority:  normal         |    Milestone:  Cabal-1.6     
 Component:  Cabal library  |      Version:  1.2.3.0       
  Severity:  normal         |   Resolution:                
  Keywords:                 |   Difficulty:  hard (< 1 day)
Ghcversion:  6.8.2          |     Platform:                
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Changes (by claus):

 * cc: claus (added)

Comment:

 (following Duncan's suggestion to record my opinion on the importance of
 this ticket)

 When I suggested "uninstall", 2 years ago (#106), I was very surprised
 that it wasn't rated as both urgent and important. The *only* reason for
 delaying it is that it is not something you'd want to get wrong (mostly:
 removing stuff you're not supposed to touch; though leaving garbage all
 over the place isn't nice, either).

 The very first thing I check about new software is how to get out of it
 after I start it, and, having had some trouble with nearly-impossible-to-
 uninstall software, I've come to see software that installs itself without
 providing for proper uninstallation as deeply unprofessional, the never-
 use-their-stuff-again kind of experience (installing everything into a
 single new directory that can be removed without causing damage is okay as
 a minimum requirement, but if you do anything else, you'd better know how
 to undo it).

 Doing temporary test-installs before releases (to ensure that packages are
 complete), forgetting/changing installation prefixes (Cabal's handling of
 which differs between platforms), having different compiler versions with
 different Cabals, Cabal evolving and putting things in different places,
 more and more packages on Hackage that people will want to install to try
 them out - all reasons why uninstall support is needed before spreading
 the news about Hackage/Cabal leaves potential Haskellers with a bad taste
 (not to mention that left-overs from previous installs bring the risk of
 inconsistent installations).

 I really thought the importance and urgency of this ticket was self-
 evident but, if not, I hope this explains my point of view?-)

 Btw, there seems to have been some relevant discussion in this thread

 http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/cabal-devel/2008-May/002907.html

 concluding, I think, that some refactoring would be needed before tracking
 could work.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/hackage/ticket/234#comment:3>
Hackage <http://haskell.org/cabal/>
Hackage: Cabal and related projects