Bug#727708: call for votes on default Linux init system for jessie

[Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>]

On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 8:51 AM, Don Armstrong wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Jan 2014, Ian Jackson wrote:
>>   Q1: Do we intend to support multiple systems long-term, or do we
>>   intend to settle on a single system, probably in jessie+1 ?
>>
>>   Q2: Is it OK for packages to depend on a specific init system as
>>   pid 1 ?
>
> [...]
>
>> Firstly, as I have said, TC members should be able to express the
>> preference "only X, X by default but also others, Y by default but
>> also others, Y", which is a perfectly reasonable one but which cannot
>> be expressed by a concurrent ballots
>
> The only reason to interlink these questions is if the ordering of
> someone's preference on the init system question is dependent on their
> preference on these two questions. If that's the case, then whoever
> feels that way should propose a draft which includes an option which
> handles that particular case.
>
>> Secondly, making a decision on the default without clearly stating a
>> requirement for support for multiple systems risks a situation where
>> partisans for the winning system create "facts on the ground" which
>> make it difficult to support multiple systems.
>
> This presupposes bad faith, and even if it were so, such behavior would
> still be possible even if we voted in a single decision.

Even if the TC acts with the purest of motives, there is always a
certain subset of observers likely to assume the worst and ascribe a
bad faith motive.

It is better to head that off by making the TCs intention and thought
process abundantly clear.

Best wishes,
Mike