Bug#214059: marked as done (debian-policy: Section 2.2.1 unclear on whether Suggesting non-main packages is OK)
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From: Per von Zweigbergk <pvz@linux.se>
To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>
Subject: debian-policy: Section 2.2.1 unclear on whether Suggesting non-main packages
is OK
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Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2003 10:30:15 +0200
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Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.6.1.0
Severity: normal
Recently, a bug report was aimed at the tvtime package -- and we seem to
have uncovered a section in which Debian Policy is not entirely clear.
Bug report #213512 suggested that we should Suggest libdscaler, which is
in contrib, in tvtime, which is in main. However, Section 2.2.1 of the
Debian Policy is unclear on this point. I quote:
[packages in main] must not require a package outside of main for compila=
tion
or execution (thus, the package must not declare a "Depends", "Recommends=
",
or "Build-Depends" relationship on a non-main package)
The literal interpretation of this that it is permissible, but I think it
could be clarified further. It is currently plausible to interpret the
enumeration of dependency fields in Section 2.2.1 as merely a clarifying
example (i.e. "including, but not limited to"), rather than a complete li=
st.
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To: Per von Zweigbergk <pvz@linux.se>
Cc: 214059-done@bugs.debian.org, 214059@bugs.debian.org
Subject: Re: Bug#214059: debian-policy: Section 2.2.1 unclear on whether
Suggesting non-main packages is OK
References: <[🔎] E1A5hnr-0002Ve-00@tanya>
From: Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>
Organization: The Debian Project
X-URL: http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/
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Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2003 04:01:25 -0500
In-Reply-To: <[🔎] E1A5hnr-0002Ve-00@tanya> (Per von Zweigbergk's message of
"Sat, 04 Oct 2003 10:30:15 +0200")
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On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 10:30:15 +0200, Per von Zweigbergk <pvz@linux.se> said:
> Package: debian-policy Version: 3.6.1.0 Severity: normal
> Recently, a bug report was aimed at the tvtime package -- and we
> seem to have uncovered a section in which Debian Policy is not
> entirely clear.
> Bug report #213512 suggested that we should Suggest libdscaler,
> which is in contrib, in tvtime, which is in main. However, Section
> 2.2.1 of the Debian Policy is unclear on this point. I quote:
> [packages in main] must not require a package outside of main for
> compilation or execution (thus, the package must not declare a
> "Depends", "Recommends", or "Build-Depends" relationship on a
> non-main package)
So, it explicitly tells you what is not allowed.
> The literal interpretation of this that it is permissible, but I
That is correct.
> think it could be clarified further. It is currently plausible to
> interpret the enumeration of dependency fields in Section 2.2.1 as
> merely a clarifying example (i.e. "including, but not limited to"),
> rather than a complete list.
You can never get policy to the point where it is not
confusing to absolutely anyone. In this specific case, policy
explicitly tells you what is disallowed; in general, anything that is
not prohibited by policy is allowed, and anything not explicitly
required by policy is up to the discretion of the developer.
In general, policy is not exhaustive; it only mentions things
required, or prohibited. Changing this stance would require a major
rewrite, and a far larger policy document, and further constrain
developers needlessly.
manoj
--
"We learn from history that we learn nothing from history." George
Bernard Shaw
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
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