Bug#87510: I second this proposal
On Fri, May 18, 2001 at 07:49:04AM +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> Policy should now require packages to specify build time dependencies
> (i.e., packages which require ... MUST specify...)
> Build time dependencies have been in policy for 18 months already.
(Completely irrelevent, as aj noted.)
> <-- snip -->
> I second this. (but there must be a note that packages that build
> with only essential and build essential packages don't need build
> dependencies)
(I agree with the parenthetical comment.)
However, the proposal already has a sufficiency of seconds -- more
make no difference at this point.
What it also has is objections that haven't been answered. And I also
object to it, on basically the same grounds as aj stated.
Policy is not a bludgeon with which to beat people into submission.
It is intended to reflect the existing system, as well as what we
consider best practices. A "should" clause is good if we want to
encourage people to do something (such as add build-depends).
However, it MUST not be changed to "must" until such time as a
sufficiency of packages have been converted to comply with the
"should".
As aj says, "POLICY SHOULD DOCUMENT CURRENT PRACTICE"! Changing to
"must" at this point WOULD BE A BUG IN POLICY, because then it
wouldn't reflect what we DO do.
Back in Feb, aj said there were 2047 packages still needing build-
depends. If you want this proposal to take effect, the thing to do is
not to blindly add YAUS (yet another useless second), but to address
the objections, by NMUing or filing bugs to get the bloody packages
fixed.
Then, when enough people have done enough of that work, someone can
say, "hey, we've reached the point where there are only 200[*]
packages left without build-depends -- aj and chris, does that answer
your objections?" And I, at least, would probably say yes at that
point. But until then, my objection stands.
[*] the exact number doesn't matter, of course -- what matters is that
it be quite obvious that we've basically won, and build-depends *are*
part of the system now.
cheers
--
Chris Waters | Pneumonoultra- osis is too long
xtifr@debian.org | microscopicsilico- to fit into a single
or xtifr@speakeasy.net | volcaniconi- standalone haiku
Reply to: