KDE Installation Method Clarification Request

Question

I've read the wiki and articles about the relative merits/demerits of installing KDE using groups, or meta packages. I understand the implications of receiving updates for both paradigms.
I've installed KDE using both methods. Each install was with a complete rewipe of my system drive so everything is fresh, and of course current with a pacman -Syu.
For my personal purposes, I find that either method installs too much other stuff.
I see the KDE wiki on how to install the bare KDE essentials, and then I'd like to bring down the packages one at a time based upon need. So from my current understanding, I'm neither using groups, nor meta-packages, but individual items.
I ask the following questions for clarification:
a)   Using my proposed method, how will my individual KDE packages and/or their dependencies receive updates through pacman?
b)    Has anyone gone down this road before and have "gotchas" or issues they'd like to make me aware of before I do my new layout?
Thank you for your time!
Dave..........
Last edited by dcbdbis (2011-05-19 19:18:21)

Answer 1

I don't know what the kde wiki names as bare essentials, but i followed a top down approach to keep the KDE stuff to a minimum :
I installed the applications i needed and accepted the dependecies that came with it.
example :
Krusader is my favorite filemamager, this requires kdebase-runtime
kdebase-runtime requires kdelibs
kdelibs requires phonon
phonon requires a backend, i choose phonon-vlc
phonon requires qt
1 'pacman -Syu krusader' installed 90% of what i need from kde, installing other apps installed a bit more.
By doing it this way, i can be certain i only have those KDE pacakages that are important for my use of the system.
About your question a :
as long as you use the official arch repos, you'll get all updates that are available.
KDE releases (normally) include all packages they have in the 'Software Compilation'  as they call it.