Bug#102213: PROPOSAL] Policy interpretation and exceptions

[Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>]

Anthony Towns wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 26, 2001 at 01:11:09AM -0400, Joey Hess wrote:
> > Anthony Towns wrote:
> > > +          The guidelines in this manual are expected to be interpreted
> > > +          intelligently, with a view to improving the technical quality
> > > +          of the Debian distribution.  Where a guideline in this manual
> > > +          does not make sense for a particular package, or describes
> > > +          an inadequate solution, the maintainer should discuss the
> > > +          issue with other developers via the <tt>debian-devel</tt>
> > > +          or <tt>debian-policy</tt> mailing lists, with a view to
> > > +          finding a better solution, or correcting a flaw in policy.
> > > +          In rare cases a package may be enough of a special case that
> > > +          it should not follow a guideline and the exception would just
> > > +          be confusing if listed in this manual itself.  In those cases,
> > > +          a comment to this effect should generally be included in the
> > > +          package's <tt>README.Debian</tt> file.
> > My only gripe with this is that the "In rare cases" bit doesn't ask the
> > maintainer to ask on -policy first. 
> 
> That's what the -devel and -policy sentence was meant to be about. Got a
> better way of putting it?

Maybe something like "[...] mailing lists, with a view to finding a
better solution, or correcting a flaw in policy -- in rare cases a
package may be enough of a special case [...]"

-- 
see shy jo