Bug#758234: transitive dependencies
Le Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 01:24:32PM +0100, Matthias Urlichs a écrit :
>
> <p>
> - Packages must not depend on packages with lower priority
> - values (excluding build-time dependencies). In order to
> - ensure this, the priorities of one or more packages may need
> - to be adjusted.
> + Packages may depend on other packages with lower priority values.
> + These other packages, or their dependencies, must not conflict with
> + another higher-priority package.<footnote>
> + Debian does not require its base-system installation scripts to employ a
> + full-featured dependency resolver; this rule ensures that "install
> + all <tt>important</tt> packages and their open dependencies" works
> + and results in a consistent and bootable system.
> + </footnote>
> + </p>
> + <p>
> + This restriction does not apply to packages of priority
> + <tt>optional</tt> or lower. It applies transitively.
> + It does not apply if a dependency is already satisfied by another
> + higher-priority package. If alternative dependencies are used,
> + it only applies to the first alternative(s).
> </p>
Hi Matthias and everybody,
on my side I agree that self-contained priority levels are not needed anymore
and are even becoming harmful. This said, there were objections to the removal
of this rule in this thread and in #759260, and I do not remember if we had
good answers to each of them. Matthias, do you think that you could make a
summary of the pros and cons that were discussed in these threads ?
Regarding your proposed change, I wonder what is the practical case for
forbidding conflicts with higher-priority packages. Could you give an example
showing that it is strictly necessary ? Otherwise, it would be simpler to
simply remove the requirement for adjusting priorities.
Lastly, while we are at it, let's insert a clarification that in Debian, the
priority of the packages are determined by the archive administrators, and that
the source package control file is not the canonical source of information for
a binary package's priority when this package is distributed in the Debian
archive. (This would close #616055).
Have a nice day,
--
Charles Plessy
Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Japan
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