Re: FOUND IT!!! was Re: Problems with dselect...

[Ian Jackson <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>]

Santiago Vila writes ("Re: FOUND IT!!! was Re: Problems with dselect..."):
> A Pre-depend on an optional package is not a mistake as such (provided
> the Pre-Depend itself is jutified enough, of course).

Perhaps this policy should be changed.  The reason for the restriction
in the policy manual is that otherwise there can be very severe
constraints on the order in which packages must be presented to dpkg.

I'd like (at some point, anyway) to be able to install from tape
without winding the tape back and forth too much, and without having
to make the tape in a very special way.

In my old version of the policy manual (from dpkg 1.4.0) I said:
  <sect1><tt/Pre-Depends/ and the <tt/Essential/ flag
  <p>

  Do not use <tt/Pre-Depends/ or <tt/Essential: yes/ unless your package
  is absolutely vital to the functioning of the system and the
  installation of other packages.  Do not do either of these things
  without consultation with the distribution maintainers or on
  <prgn/debian-devel/.
  <p>

  Usually, neither of these fields should not be used unless removing a
  package really will completely hose the system, making it impossible
  to recover by (re)installing packages with <prgn/dpkg/.

I see that this was removed at some point.

I think it should be put back.

Ian.