Re: debian-policy: virtual package request: mpd-client

[Steve Greenland <steveg@moregruel.net>]

On 04-Sep-04, 17:50 (CDT), Eric Wong <eric@petta-tech.com> wrote: 
> I'd like to get `mpd-client' added to the virtual package list at:

Sigh. Here we go again.

Virtual packages are not random groupings of related programs. Virtual
packages are NOT keywords. Virtual packages are there so that other
packages can Depend: on a generic interface, rather than a (varying)
list of specific programs.

Since MPD clients don't provide a generic interface usuable by other
programs/packages, I don't see the point. 

What functionality would be usefully guaranteed by "Depend: mpd-client"
in the control file?

Consider the difference between the valid virtual package
"mail-transfer-agent" and the (hypothetical, useless) "mail-user-agent".

(Can someone please add a cleaned up version of the above to the
Developer's Guide and Policy, so we don't have to do this every three
months?)

I realize that a lot of the driving force behind this mis-use of virtual
packages is the lack of a standardized keyword system for searching the
archive, but that doesn't mean we should overload virtual packages.

Regards,
Steve

-- 
Steve Greenland
    The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating
    system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the
    world.       -- seen on the net