Bug#964558: Please change the ibus Recommends in ibus-data to a Suggests

[Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>]

Gunnar

On Wed, 2020-07-08 at 18:09 +0200, Gunnar Hjalmarsson wrote:
> Package: src:ibus
> Version: 1.5.22-5
> I would suggest that "Recommends: ibus" in ibus-data is replaced
> with "Suggests: ibus".

I think what you suggest seems to be a reasonable fix to the current
excessive package pull-in situation.  (But it may cause some issue ...
see below)

This ibus-data is a new data only package for emoji and a few static
data.  If any external binary executable ZZZ accesses this data, it is
a bad idea for ibus-data to recommend an executable package which may
not be of interest of ZZZ.  (ZZZ being emoji picker under KDE in this
case)

This reminded me to check current package dependency chain and package
split situation of src:ibus.

The binary ibus (bin:ibus) package has a few aspects:

 * the key entry point of package dependency chain to access ibus
   related binaries (libraries)
 * provider of 3 key executable components.
    * XIM support daemon: ibus-daemon (ibus as a wrapper)
    * ibus set up utility: ibus-setup (ibus-ui-gtk3)
    * Emoji picker: ibus-ui-emojier  (ibus as a wrapper)

Making "Suggests: ibus" will cause lack of access to ibus-ui-emojier
for KDE.  Is this what they wants?  (Maybe not ... please check if
"ibus emoji" command access requirement under KDE)

Maybe it is time to re-organize ibus package splits.

Modern keyboard input path is provided to most application binaries via
GTK library or QT applications (not via XIM).

GNOME DE doesn't require daemon in bin:ibus but depends on bin:libibus-
1.0-5 via gnome-shell.  In other word, under Debian Default
GNOME/Wayland ibus-daemon is not really needed to have a functional
system. (Excluding uxterm/Rxvt for CJK.  We have many GTK/QT terminals)
The same will be true for KDE.

GNOME DE seems to use its own "ibus-setup" equivalent in javascript and
doesn't use ibus-setup in bin:ibus.

GNOME DE also seems to use its own "ibus emoji" equivalent, too.  So
emoji related binary in bin:ibus isn't used, maybe ... 

Since Wayland doesn't offer xkb to support non-ASCII character input
support,  ibus-infrastructure seems to support it with data in ibus-
data such as /usr/share/ibus/component/simple.xml.  If ibibus-1.0-5
uses any part of this new ibus-data package changing dependency as
following may be an idea.  (I am not sure)

 * Replace "Recommends: ibus" in ibus-data with "Suggests: ibus".
 * Drop "Depends: ibus-data" in ibus.
 * Add "Depends: ibus-data" in libibus-1.0-5.

Please note
 ibus --(depends)--> gir1.2-ibus-1.0 --(depends)--> libibus-1.0-5 

Osamu