On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:45:44 +0200 Reinhard Tartler <siretart@debian.org> wrote: > > Precisely - just what is the benefit? I really don't think this is a > > good idea. > > TBH, I think this is a very good idea. There are a lot of cases in the > debian archive, were the package maintainer wants to express that a > related package should really be installed by default, but is not > really necessary in all cases. Precisely - I am one of those cases and I don't think there are as few users in this situation as may be envisaged. > Moreover, in some cases it makes sense > to uninstall that related package. Stressing the 'Recommends' > relationship as mandated by current policy by installing them by > default in apt it therefore a very good idea. No, it is a very bad idea. > > My immediate reaction is to disable recommends on all my > > boxes. Have I got to write a script now to force this decision to be > > undone whenever I install a new box? > > That's just one line in your apt.conf, as described in the original > announcement. And a script to implement that in every box I have to install. Again and Again and Again and .... You almost forcing me into maintaining a fork of apt that restores the current behaviour from the very start. > > If I wanted Recommends:, I'd use aptitude - I see no sense in > > forcing this. > > You can turn it the other way round: If you don't want recommends, > just turn it of, the same way as you do it with aptitude. No - because the default is already in place in aptitude which is WHY I don't use aptitude. If apt goes the same way, the default configuration of each offers no choice. By the time I get a chance to switch that option off, the installation has added loads of JUNK that I do NOT want. > > I tried the sample commands and apt wanted to add HALF A GIGABYTE of > > unnecessary stuff!!! Others may consider hard disc space cheap but, > > in truth, hard disc space is not infinite. > > > > Please, please, please, reconsider. > > Please stop whining and start contributing. ? do you think I don't contribute already ? Don't go down that road, OK? Just don't. > E.g. by filing bugs > against package (and possibly NMU them) that abuse the Recommends > relationship. Like moving all Recommends: into Suggests? I don't want ANY recommends installed by default - not even as udebs. I want to make the choice about what gets installed from the very first stage. I'm sure I'm not alone. Recommends does NOT apply to everyone - that is Policy. What apt is now doing is undermining Policy by removing that CHOICE to not use any recommended packages. -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.data-freedom.org/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
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