Bug#7330: bug or feature?

[Thomas Hood <jdthood@yahoo.co.uk>]

Orn E. Hansen wrote:   [I have edited it for grammar]
> Replacing a package with another that provides the same package.
> causes conflicts with programs that depend on it... an example:
> I have quota and e2fsprogs installed.  They are marked essential.
> I try to replace e2fsprogs with e2compr, a package that provides
> e2fsprogs and replaces it.
>
> I cannot install it unless I use --auto-deconfigure...
> because quota depends on e2fsprogs which is essential, and in
> this case dpkg doesn't pay attention to the Replace or Provides
> fields from e2compr.

Does the reported behavior violate policy?  If not,
then this report should probably be downgraded to
wishlist or closed.

--
Thomas