How Should We Handle Nested Dependencies with Metapackages?

[Carltoffel]

In our project, we've encountered an issue where a package does not directly use a certain library (like stdlib), but one of its dependencies does. This has raised questions about how we should handle nested dependencies, especially within the context of metapackages. Additionally, when a module dependency like 'stdlib' is used in a dependency but not directly in the project, the system is unable to find the source for this module dependency:
Unable to find source for module dependency: "stdlib_logger"

We're opening this issue to invite thoughts, ideas, and potential solutions on how we should handle these kinds of situations.

1. Should we propagate the library settings (like stdlib, OpenMP, etc.) of dependencies all the way up to the main project, even if the project does not directly use the library?
2. How should we handle the situation where a module dependency is used in a dependency but not directly in the project?
3. What would be the most efficient and error-proof way to handle such cases, particularly in the context of metapackages?
4. How should we handle version conflicts if a package and its dependencies rely on different versions of the same library?
5. How can we prevent or resolve circular dependencies, where package A depends on package B, and package B depends on package A? (Example for this such a case)

We look forward to hearing your insights and engaging in a productive discussion on this topic!

See also #859 (comment) where @perazz and @awvwgk already talked about this