Bug#669915: debian-policy: §12.2 recommends possibly unneeded dependency (for Wheezy)

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Charles Plessy wrote:

> --- a/policy.sgml
> +++ b/policy.sgml
> @@ -1330,9 +1330,7 @@ zope.
>  	  The package installation scripts should avoid producing
>  	  output which is unnecessary for the user to see and
>  	  should rely on <prgn>dpkg</prgn> to stave off boredom on
> -	  the part of a user installing many packages.  This means,
> -	  amongst other things, using the <tt>--quiet</tt> option on
> -	  <prgn>install-info</prgn>.
> +	  the part of a user installing many packages.
>  	</p>

Is there another example of programs that are noisy about their
progress that could be used to make this concrete?

A quick web search finds bug#508086.  So, maybe:

	This means, amongst other things, not passing the
	<tt>--verbose</tt> option to <prgn>update-alternatives</prgn>.

> @@ -3969,8 +3967,7 @@ Checksums-Sha256:
>  	  Programs called from maintainer scripts should not normally
>  	  have a path prepended to them. Before installation is
>  	  started, the package management system checks to see if the
> -	  programs <prgn>ldconfig</prgn>,
> -	  <prgn>start-stop-daemon</prgn>, <prgn>install-info</prgn>,
> +	  programs <prgn>ldconfig</prgn>, <prgn>start-stop-daemon</prgn>,
>  	  and <prgn>update-rc.d</prgn> can be found via the
>  	  <tt>PATH</tt> environment variable.

Trivia: the current list is sh, rm, tar, find, dpkg-deb, ldconfig,
start-stop-daemon.  I think what you have here is fine.

> @@ -10496,19 +10493,14 @@ name ["<var>syshostname</var>"]:
>          </p>
>  
>  	<p>
> -	  The <prgn>install-info</prgn> program maintains a directory of
> +	  The <package>install-info</package> package provides the
> +	  <prgn>install-info</prgn> program, which maintains a directory of
>  	  installed info documents in <file>/usr/share/info/dir</file> for
> -	  the use of info readers.<footnote>
> -	    It was previously necessary for packages installing info
> -	    documents to run <prgn>install-info</prgn> from maintainer
> -	    scripts.  This is no longer necessary.  The installation
> -	    system now uses dpkg triggers.
> -	  </footnote>
> -	  This file must not be included in packages.  Packages containing
> -	  info documents should depend on <tt>dpkg (>= 1.15.4) |
> -	  install-info</tt> to ensure that the directory file is properly
> -	  rebuilt during partial upgrades from Debian 5.0 (lenny) and
> -	  earlier.
> +	  the use of info readers, using dpkg triggers.

install-info can even be used on systems without dpkg, so I don't think
it uses dpkg triggers itself.

>  	                                                 Programs using this
> +	  facility <em>should not</em> depend on, recommend or suggest
> +	  <package>install-info</package>.  The file
> +	  <file>/usr/share/info/dir</file> must not be included in packages
> +	  other than <package>install-info</package>.

If it contained info documents, "info" would be an exception to the
above "Packages containing info documents should not depend on
install-info" rule.

How about something like the following?

	<p>
	  The install-info program maintains a directory of installed
	  info documents in /usr/share/info/dir for the use of info
	  readers.  This file must not be included in packages other
	  than <package>install-info</package>.
	</p>

	<p>
	  <prgn>install-info</prgn> is automatically invoked when
	  appropriate using dpkg triggers.  Packages other than
	  <package>install-info</package> <em>should not</em> invoke
	  <prgn>install-info</prgn> directly and <em>should not</em>
	  depend on, recommend, or suggest <package>install-info</package>
	  for this purpose.
	</p>

	<p>
	  Info readers requiring the /usr/share/info/dir file should
	  depend on <package>install-info</package>.
	</p>

Thanks,
Jonathan