Bug#36972: Downgrading bug 36972 severity (dpkg: dpkg can remoev vital files/symlinks without...)

[Antti-Juhani Kaijanaho <gaia@iki.fi>]

severity 36972 wishlist
thanks

This bug does not:
  * make unrelated packages (or the whole system) break
  * cause serious data loss
  * introduce security holes compromising a system
  => not critical
  * make the package in question [dpkg in this case] unusable or mostly so
  * cause data loss 
  * introduce security holes compromising a user account
  => not grave
  * make the package [dpkg] unsuitable to release
  => not important
  
I quote the bug submitter, Steve Lamb:
    Regardless of the semantics of this issue it raises the concertn that
    dpkg is deleting files/directories and symlinks based on the false
    assumption that if the maintainer is not using the links/files/directories,
    neither is (or should) the individual administrators.  This can lead to any
    package, at any time, breaking based on such a false assumption.

I'd like to point out that the assumption is *not* false: Debian does in
general not quarantee any sysadmin changes outside of /usr/local and /home
to stay untouched.  So dpkg operates here under a valid assumption. Sure
there are special cases (for example /etc/alternatives) where sysadmin
changes are preserved, but the burden on making sure this is so lies on the
individual developer who promises such a thing, and not on dpkg in general.

Therefore, the bug merely suggests a feature to dpkg.  I'm downgrading the
severity to wishlist.  If you disagree, feel free to upgade it to normal,
but no higher (this is NOT a release-critical bug, as explained above).