Re: [PROPOSED] Change package relations policy to remove references to non-free from main

[Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>]

Hi,
>>"Raul" == Raul Miller <moth@debian.org> writes:

 Raul> We need to have a clean administrative interface between the free and
 Raul> the non-free parts of debian.

        I think I agree here.

 Raul> Not everyone is going to be able to use the non-free parts, and
 Raul> not all distributions are going to contain the non-free parts.

        This is also true of the non-us parts. The solution we come up
 with should also address the issue of people not being able to access
 the non-US parts as well. Or, in general, any heirarchy being
 unavailaqble.

 Raul> For the worst case "suggests -> enhances" mess, you could even
 Raul> create a single empty non-free package which enhances the free
 Raul> part and which suggests any of a suite of non-free software.
 Raul> This puts administrative control in the right place, yet leaves
 Raul> a clean interface between the part which may be freely
 Raul> distributed and the part which may not be.

        That is a such a gortesque hack. And what exactly is it buying
 that makes it better than improving dselect not to display missing
 heirarchies? (Apart from not handling the non-US issue, since most
 CD's here in the US do *not* carry the non-US category).

        Concentrating on the non-free in exclusion to the non-US  is
 putting the religious issue in front of technical ones; that's just
 one thing that bothers me about this proposal. So far, Debian has
 always been about excellence, not about fanaticism.

 Raul> I think that's much better than creating a "Maybe-Suggests:" and stuffing
 Raul> non-free references into the DFSG packages.

        If the references are never displayed *to people who dio not want* 
 tham, why is that so bad? And why are we going through hoops to
 impose the religion on everyone else as well? 

        manoj
-- 
 An optimist believes we live in the best world possible; a pessimist
 fears this is true.
Manoj Srivastava   <srivasta@debian.org>  <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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