Re: Outrageous Maintainer
Anthony DeRobertis <anthony@derobert.net> writes:
> Klaus Ethgen wrote:
>
>> The according bug is #306608.
>
> It looks like the issue there (trying to quickly read through it) is if
> package libwxgtk2.4-python nedds to declare a Conflicts: with package
> wxpython2.5.3. The reason being that both provide a /usr/bin/helpviewer.
>
> First off, this is a tad bit weird; wxpython2.5.3 declares a
> Replaces: libwxgtk2.4-python. Maybe because of the order of installation
> dpkg is ignoring this.
wxpython2.5.3 replaces libwxgtk2.4-python. It may thus overwrite files
also present in libwxgtk2.4-python.
The reverse is not true. libwxgtk2.4-python does not replace
wxpython2.5.3 and may not overwrite files of wxpython2.5.3. Not even
files it formerly owned. dpkg doesn't know what files got replaced.
A Replaces without a Conflicts is I think always wrong. If you replace
something you MUST make sure the other package gets updated to a
version without the file. Otherwise you run into problems just like
this one. The other one is that removing wxpython2.5.e will remove
files of libwxgtk2.4-python leaving it broken.
So the maintainer has a bit of a point there.
> However, Policy 10.1 gives two ways to handle programs with the same
> file name and the same functionality. [Same name, different
> functionality, is not allowed at all.] Either alternatives or conflicts
> may be used.
>
> This is a bug, though possibly not in the libwxgtk2.4-python package. If
> the relevant maintainers (libwxgtk2.4-python, wxpython2.5.3) and bug
> sumitters can't work out a solution, then ask the Technical Comittee to
> do so. That's what they're there for.
I think the right solution is to reassign the bug to "wxpython2.5.3,
libwxgtk2.4-python". That way there is only one bug about the problem
and it shows up on both packages bug list. Everyone can see whats
going on and the wxpython2.5.3 maintainer gets all the complaints from
libwxgtk2.4-python users too.
MfG
Goswin
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