Package with optional priority depending on extra packages

["Joona Kiiski" <joona.kiiski@gmail.com>]

Hi!

I just found out that piuparts (priority optional) depends on
debootstrap (priority extra)
This is against debian policy (section 2.5), so I reported bug #477634
with severity serious.

However, soon the severity was lowered to minor by maintainer with a comment:
"priority optional and priority extra should probably be merged in this regard".
Minor severity in BTS in my experience often means "not going to fix
this soon or maybe ever".

I'm not a DD/DM (and maybe never will be) and not in a position to
advise any of you,
but I just want you to consider the fact that if you allow optional
packages freely depend on
extra packages, it is possible that you'll end up in situation where
optional packages conflict
with each other (which under Morphy's law will have disastrous effects
in dist-upgrade).

Of course, it's also possible to claim this case as "a special
exception", but programmers
tend to hate "special exceptions" (and for good reason).