Bug#727708: init system coupling etc.

[Petr Baudis <pasky@ucw.cz>]

  Hi!

> AIUI GNOME in sid right now can't lock the screen unless you're using
> systemd.

  When I asked about this [0], I got one reply (by Bdale) saying that
a missing functionality like this is fine as long as there is no hard
dependency on systemd and things somehow load.  If your opinion is
different, that seems to underline that the resolution would have to
get quite concrete if useful.

  [0] https://lists.debian.org/debian-ctte/2014/01/msg00609.html


> The question in that context is this: if GNOME upstream say that GNOME
> will only work with systemd, or the Debian GNOME maintainers say that
> Debian's GNOME packages will only work with systemd, is that
> acceptable ?

  I'm a little confused about exactly what happens if that is "not
acceptable".  The only *effective* manifestation of "not acceptable"
I can think of is:

	GNOME packages will be reverted to last version working without
	systemd and GNOME maintainers prohibited from tracking upstream
	until it works on systemd-less systems without major bugs.

Obviously(?), that doesn't seem to be too reasonable; based on my
observations, this doesn't seem to be in the general spirit of CTTE
resolutions.

  Instead, if CTTE is overriding a maintainer, the resolutions often
allow a NMU to fix the issue.  That would be reasonable here, but this
seems only sensible when there is actually something to upload to
resolve the issue.  Apparently, the work to make GNOME work without
systemd is not done yet, and is there a reason to believe NMU would
have to be done if/when there is a patch?


  In short, if you would like to ask the GNOME maintainers to do some
work, what is their incentive, what happens if they don't find time /
energy to do it?

  Thanks for clarifications,

				Petr "Pasky" Baudis