Re: Comments on Debian packages and installation
On Tue, 19 Jan 1999, Anthony Towns wrote:
[Thanks to anthony for a concrete list]
>
> Some of the other packages in this situation:
>
> rsync suggests ssh
>
> inn suggests pgp
> kbackup suggests pgp
> kbackup-doc suggests pgp (the documentation for KBackup)
> tm suggests pgp (tm is a MIME package for Emacs)
> elm-me+ suggests pgp
>
> ...ie, things which don't have a free alternative just yet, but will RSN.
I wouldn't mind losing all of these. Documentation is welcome to mention
that the software can use pgp.
> mutt depends on gnupg or pgp or pgp5i
> fvwm2-plus suggests xv or xloadimage
>
> ...ie, things which /do/ have a satisfactory free alternative, and note it.
> (What will happen here, btw? Does it stay as an or, or does the non-free
> alternative get move to an Enhances? Even though it doesn't enhance mutt if
> you installed gnupg?)
I personally would just as soon see the non-free ones ditched here too.
>
> mikmod suggests unzip, lha and zoo
> (ie, "If you like, I can deal with compressed stuff!")
> ...ie, a reasonably valid use, that would be annoying to move!! Woo! :)
I don't see any great value in this suggestion. It can be documented.
>
> dpkg suggests developer-keyring (which is in contrib)
> dpkg-dev suggests developer-keyring
> these could probably be done the other way around
> transfig suggests netpbm-nonfree
> this could probably be done via netpbm-nonfree enhances netpbm
>
> ...ie, ones that work just as well the other way around anyway.
Indeed. I'd like to see Enhances: used for these.
So, MHO is:
1) Ban suggestions from main to non-free or contrib
2) Implement enhances for the last set of examples
3) Ditch the rest (well, the rest above).
Lots of people aren't going to agree with me on this one...
My 2c
Jules
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