Bug#32595: remove obsolete and confusing acquisition methods: harddisk, mounted, cdrom, nfs

[Enrique Zanardi <ezanardi@ull.es>]

On Sun, Jan 31, 1999 at 12:21:00AM +1100, Martin Mitchell wrote:
> Adam Di Carlo <adam@onshore.com> writes:
> 
> > Package: dpkg
> > Version: 1.4.0.31
> > Severity: important
> > 
> > Please remove the following methods (based on disk):
> > 
> >   harddisk
> >   mounted
> >   cdrom
> >   nfs
> > 
> > These methods are obsolete and buggy.  Harddisk/mounted are replaced
> > by dpkg-multicd and apt methods.  CDROM is also replaced by
> > dpkg-multicd; in fact, this CDROM method doesn't even *work* anymore
> > with slink since CD-ROMs span two devices.
> 
> I strongly object to removing all of those except cdrom. I don't find apt
> adequate for my needs at this stage.

What about dpkg-multicd?

> Removing features to remove bugs is not a proper solution to reducing
> dpkg's bugs. Ian, please refrain from removing these features, which are
> still essential.

I don't see anything "essential" in them. There are a lot of methods
available on slink (and slink's base system) that work as well than dpkg
default methods. 

If you still need dpkg default methods, a proper solution would be to
extract them to a different package (say, dpkg-defaults), make dpkt-ftp,
dpkg-mountable, dpkg-multicd, dpkg-defaults, apt ... provide a virtual
package "dpkg-method" and make dpkg depend on dpkg-method.

That way only the few users that still don't find any other method
adequate for their needs will have to install that package, and have
those methods listed in the already crowded dselect's access method 
menu.

--
Enrique Zanardi					   ezanardi@ull.es