Bug#522217: debian-policy: Drop requirement to pre-depend on x11-common

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Bill Allombert <Bill.Allombert@math.u-bordeaux1.fr> writes:

> I think the cost of moving window managers out of /etc/X11 far
> outweight the benefit. However the same rationale about moving
> programs out of /usr/bin/X11, /usr/lib/X11, etc. apply here. If one
> day we move to X12, /etc/X11 will probably have to go.
>
> I do not think e.g. fvwm has a special relationship with X11 that
> warrant putting its configuration file in /etc/X11 instead of
> /etc/fvwm.

If we were starting from scratch, I agree, but I'm not sure how to
phrase that.

Here's what I currently have, which has one second from Julien and
previous seconds from Manoj and Raphaël for previous versions of the
wording.  I'd welcome any additional proposals for how to change the
wording of the /etc/X11 section, but if there are more seconds for the
way that I have it worded now, I'm currently inclined to apply this and
go forward rather than spending more time on trying to find the right
phrasing.  Does that sound okay?

--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -8577,54 +8577,35 @@ name ["<var>syshostname</var>"]:
 	  <heading>Installation directory issues</heading>
 
 	  <p>
-	    Packages using the X Window System should not be
-	    configured to install files under the
-	    <file>/usr/X11R6/</file> directory. The
-	    <file>/usr/X11R6/</file> directory hierarchy should be
+	    Historically, packages using the X Window System used a
+	    separate set of installation directories from other packages.
+	    This practice has been discontinued and packages using the X
+	    Window System should now generally be installed in the same
+	    directories as any other package.  Specifically, packages must
+	    not install files under the <file>/usr/X11R6/</file> directory
+	    and the <file>/usr/X11R6/</file> directory hierarchy should be
 	    regarded as obsolete.
 	  </p>
 
 	  <p>
-	    Programs that use GNU <prgn>autoconf</prgn> and
-	    <prgn>automake</prgn> are usually easily configured at
-	    compile time to use <file>/usr/</file> instead of
-	    <file>/usr/X11R6/</file>, and this should be done whenever
-	    possible.  Configuration files for window managers and
-	    display managers should be placed in a subdirectory of
-	    <file>/etc/X11/</file> corresponding to the package name due
-	    to these programs' tight integration with the mechanisms
-	    of the X Window System.  Application-level programs should
-	    use the <file>/etc/</file> directory unless otherwise mandated
-	    by policy.
+	    Include files previously installed under
+	    <file>/usr/X11R6/include/X11/</file> should be installed into
+	    <file>/usr/include/X11/</file>.  For files previously
+	    installed into subdirectories of
+	    <file>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/</file>, package maintainers should
+	    determine if subdirectories of <file>/usr/lib/</file> and
+	    <file>/usr/share/</file> can be used.  If not, a subdirectory
+	    of <file>/usr/lib/X11/</file> should be used.
 	  </p>
 
 	  <p>
-	    The installation of files into subdirectories
-	    of <file>/usr/X11R6/include/X11/</file> and
-	    <file>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/</file> is now prohibited;
-	    package maintainers should determine if subdirectories of
-	    <file>/usr/lib/</file> and <file>/usr/share/</file> can be used
-	    instead. 
-	  </p>
-
-	  <p>
-            Packages should install any relevant files into the
-	    directories <file>/usr/include/X11/</file> and
-	    <file>/usr/lib/X11/</file>, but if they do so, they must
-	    pre-depend on <tt>x11-common (&gt;=
-	    1:7.0.0)</tt><footnote>
-              <p>
-                These libraries used to be all symbolic
-                links. However, with <tt>X11R7</tt>,
-                <tt>/usr/include/X11</tt> and <tt>/usr/lib/X11</tt>
-                are now real directories, and packages
-                <strong>should</strong> ship their files here instead
-                of in <tt>/usr/X11R6/{include,lib}/X11</tt>.
-                <tt>x11-common (&gt;= 1:7.0.0) </tt> is the package
-                responsible for converting these symlinks into
-                directories.
-              </p>
-            </footnote>
+	    Configuration files for window, display, or session managers
+	    or other applications that are tightly integrated with the X
+	    Window System may be placed in a subdirectory
+	    of <file>/etc/X11/</file> corresponding to the package name.
+	    Other X Window System applications should use
+	    the <file>/etc/</file> directory unless otherwise mandated by
+	    policy (such as for <ref id="appdefaults">).
 	  </p>
 	</sect1>

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>