Bug#1184: kermit blurb in postinst inappropriate

[iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)]

Bill Mitchell writes in a message sent to the Kermit people:
> 5.  I ask if it'd be OK for us to make debian kermit available via
>     ftp.  I mention that we have install-time messages, and offer
>     to refer users to Columbia, and to mention the "Using C-Kermit"
>     book, in these install-time messages.  I get a verbal OK on this.
>
> That's where we currently stand on this.  I've added the blurb you quote
> below to the install-time message, and we have kermit in the "non-free"
> section of the distribution on ftp.debian.org.

IMO mentioning that we have install-time messages may have been a
mistake.

These install-time messages are not intended for the distribution of
legal blurbs - that's what /usr/doc/copyright is for.  If every
package were to produce its legal blurb on installation we couldn't
see the wood for the trees.

I suspect that there is a slippery slope here.  Every package
maintainer thinks that their packages' install-time messages are
important, because they think that their packages are.  However, in
the grand scheme of things this often isn't the case.

This reminds me of the `ever-expanding syllabus' problem, where
lecturers cram in as much as possible because they're convinced that
their own topics are much more important than everybody else's.

(NB: I'm not suggesting this is actually happening in any extend to
Debian, nor am I saying I think anyone here has been behaving in this
way.  I'm just pointing out that this is something I think we should
be wary of.)

Ian.