Re: Bug#64798: apt -Suggests-> dpkg-dev

[Ian Jackson <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>]

Jason Gunthorpe writes ("Re: Bug#64798: apt -Suggests-> dpkg-dev"):
> On Sat, 27 May 2000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> >  Suggests: dpkg-dev
> > is clearly not appropriate.
> 
> Wakko{jgg}/usr/doc/doc-rfc#dpkg --search dpkg-source
> dpkg-dev: /usr/man/man1/dpkg-source.1.gz
> dpkg-dev: /usr/bin/dpkg-source
> 
> It is required for the 'source' function to work.

The effect of that `Suggests' is to make every Debian user who
deselects dpkg-source or selects apt to get a dependency alert of some
kind.  I don't think that's appropriate.  The packaging manual says
this:

 Suggests
     This is used to declare that one package may be more useful with one or
     more others. Using this field tells the packaging system and the user
     that the listed packages are related to this one and can perhaps
     enhance its usefulness, but that installing this one without them is
     perfectly reasonable.

     dselect will offer suggsted packages to the system administrator when
     they select the suggesting package, but the default is not to install
     the suggested package.

Do you really want dselect to suggest to the user that they install
dpkg-dev when they install apt, if they don't have dpkg-dev already ?

Ian.