Bug#479080: debian-policy: Policy '3.8 Essential packages' does not explain when/why essential is neccessary

["Giacomo A. Catenazzi" <cate@cateee.net>]

Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> Hi,
> On Fri, 02 May 2008 17:45:30 +0200, Carl Fürstenberg <azatoth@gmail.com>
> said:
>
> > Policy section 3.8, about essential packages, doesn't explain when/why
> > essential is neccessary, only that it should not be essential if it's
> > not necessary.
>
>         My understanding is that a package is Essential if without it is
>  impossible to install any more packages to the system -- that is, the
>  package is required for proper functioning of dpkg. If my understanding
>  is correct, it should be easy to add in a line about when packages can
>  be made Essential.

In addition "Essential" is also used not full dependencies with
"obvious" packages. (Policy 3.5)

Ah... the rationale is in footnote 7
http://www.us.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/footnotes.html#f7,
which is linked in 3.5.
I think we should split the rationale and put the first part in
3.8. And 3.5 should linke to the section 3.8

ciao
	cate