Bug#688772: Call for votes for resolving #688772 [gnome Depends network-manager-gnome]

[Don Armstrong <don@debian.org>]

I'd like to call for votes to resolve #688772 with the following
options, with F as further discussion. Both options A and B require a
3:1 majority, as they overrule the gnome maintainers; Option C does
not.

=== START ===

1. The TC notes the decision of the meta-gnome maintainers to
   implement the TC decision in #681834 by:
    (a) softening the dependency in the gnome-core metapackage
        from Depends to Recommends, as required
    (b) adding a new dependency in the gnome metapackage,
        as a Depends.  (In squeeze, this is where the dependency
        was, but it was a Recommends.)

2. Our intent, as stated in the rationale section of our previous
   decision (#681834, paras 3 and 5), is that squeeze users who have
   gnome installed but not network-manager do not find that
   network-manager becomes installed when they upgrade to wheezy.

3. A Recommends from gnome to network-manager-gnome would serve no
   purpose in wheezy as gnome Depends on gnome-core which already
   Recommends network-manager-gnome.

Therefore

A 4. We overrule the decision of the meta-gnome maintainers to add a
A    dependency from gnome to network-manager-gnome; this dependency
A    should be removed for the release of wheezy.
A 
A 5. We request that the Release Team unblock update(s) to meta-gnome so
A    that our decisions may be implemented in wheezy.
A 
A 6. We request that a release note is created explaining that gnome
A    users who do not currently have NM installed consider installing
A    it.


B 4. We overrule the decision of the meta-gnome maintainers to add a
B    dependency from gnome to network-manager-gnome; this dependency
B    should be removed. If in the opinion of the NM maintainer (and
B    before the release of wheezy the Chair of the Technical Committee
B    or an individual delegated by the Chair in consultation with the
B    Release Team) the concerns raised in §4 of the CTTE decision
B    #681834 have been addressed through technical means (e.g. by
B    preventing the starting of NM as discussed in #688772), the
B    meta-gnome maintainers may freely adjust the dependencies as
B    usual.
B    
B    Specifically, valid bugs where existing valid network
B    configurations are broken by the automatic, required installation
B    on system upgrade of packages not previously installed which
B    perform network configuration on should have severity serious.
B
B 5. We request that the Release Team unblock update(s) to meta-gnome so
B    that our decisions may be implemented in wheezy.
B 
B 6. We request that a release note is created explaining that gnome
B    users who do not currently have NM installed consider installing
B    it.

C 4. After further discussion, we understand that reintroducing
C    network-manager on upgrade was part of the intent, due to both
C    substantial improvements in network-manager and tighter integration of
C    network-manager with the GNOME desktop in wheezy.  Since the gnome
C    metapackage has historically been more aggressive at pulling in
C    additional packages, we believe the move of the dependency from
C    gnome-core to gnome is an acceptable compromise that was not raised
C    during the previous discussion.  Users who want to remove
C    network-manager can still use the gnome-core metapackage to get the
C    basic GNOME desktop functionality.
C 
C    We recommend that this upgrade behavior for users of the gnome
C    metapackage be documented in the release notes.

=== STOP ===


Don Armstrong

-- 
2: There is no out. There is only in.
  -- "The Prisoner (2009 Miniseries)"

http://www.donarmstrong.com              http://rzlab.ucr.edu