Bug#53849: PROPOSAL: emacs/tex downgrading to optional
On 02-Jan-00, 11:55 (CST), Robert Woodcock <rcw@debian.org> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 02, 2000 at 01:19:11PM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote:
> > First, how do the various tasks packages affect this? Do they include
> > all of standard plus some other stuff, or would, eg, a `router' task
> > completely obviate the "But I don't want it on my router" complaints?
> [*snip*]
> > And if this is the case, what relevance does standard have at all?
>
> [*snip*]
> When dselect encounters a new package (the first time it runs everything is
> new), if it is of priority 'standard' or higher, it is automatically
> selected for installation.
>
> The task packages work by explicitly selecting everything to be installed,
> once this is done the packages aren't 'new' to dselect anymore.
Ok, so given the presence of a "router" (or whatever) task package, the
presence of emacs et. al. in standard makes no difference. It either
will or won't be included, depending on the task definition.
If a user bypasses the task selection screen, they get what's in
standard (by default), and go into dselect to pick and choose, which is
exactly what they want.
> It also affects upgrades. Say a new package was introduced into woody.
> This package did not exist in potato. For whatever reason, it is a package
> worthy of inclusion into Standard.
>
> A dselect user upgrading from potato to woody would find this new package
> automatically selected for them.
And that's *why* it was placed in standard. Notice that the dselect user
has the opportunity to de-select the package before installing.
> It's also the installation time. One of the motives for bypassing the task
> selection screen is to save time. TeX and Emacs are 28203KB of archive data,
> which may be transferred across anything ranging from a U2W SCSI bus (2
> seconds) to a POTS modem (2 hours). TeX and Emacs both have time-intensive
> postinsts as well (tetex-base has to run initex, emacs has some LISP byte-
> compilation to do.)
On the one hand, this is a legitimate concern. On the other, POTS
modem users (like I used to be, admittedly) are already used to being
fairly careful about going through both the new packages and upgraded
packages list before hitting install. (When I lived on a 14.4 modem,
most packages liven on "hold".)
> > All I can see here is a closed-minded `I don't want LaTeX or Emacs, and
> > I don't even want to have to think about it to avoid them'. :-/
>
> Because this isn't an issue of right or wrong, only what is preferred for a
> majority, there is no such thing as a logical response to this sentence.
Ok, well I prefer that Emacs, at least, remain in standard. I believe it
is a common enough package that most users will want to at least look at
it, and if they don't like it, it's trivial to remove. TeX I feel less
strongly about.
I don't think I'm in favor of this proposal, as written.
Steve
--
Steve Greenland <vmole@swbell.net>
(Please do not CC me on mail sent to this list; I subscribe to and read
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