Bug#727708: init system resolution - revised proposal

[Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Josh Triplett writes ("Bug#727708: init system resolution - revised proposal"):
> A couple of comments inline below.
...
> There is an issue with this wording, which I don't think is intended.
> Sometimes, the easiest way to maintain support for multiple init systems
> involves having a family of packages, each of which enables support for
> one init system or family of init systems.  For instance, consider a
> gnome-session-systemd package which uses systemd user sessions, provided
> in parallel with a compatibility package that does not.  Or, consider
> the systemd-shim package.  As written, this clause would prohibit such
> alternative packages, even though *collectively* the packages satisfy
> this requirement.  I would suggest adding language like the following,
> optionally with the following [non-binding] example:

This is why we use the word "software", not "packages".

>    Packages which form part of a set of alternatives integrating with
>    different init systems need not individually run on other init
>    systems, as long as the packages collectively meet the requirements
>    of this section.  [ For example, a package using systemd to launch a
>    user session, provided as an alternative to a package that runs on
>    sysvinit, need not itself run on sysvinit. ]

I agree with the intent here but I think it's best done in policy
rather than in the TC resolution.

Ian.