Bug#753608: Clarify use of conflicts, clarify what constitutes abuse of the relation
Paul Tagliamonte <paultag@debian.org> writes:
> I'd like to clarify the purpose of the Conflicts relation, as written in
> section 7.2 and 7.4.
> Recently a package (systemd-must-die) was uploaded to NEW. This package
> creates a Conflicts relation with systemd packages, and tries to prevent
> their install[1].
> I see this as an abuse of the Conflicts relation, and *not* a valid
> reason to use it. In my opinion, this is a needless relation, and not
> why Conflicts exists.
> I'd really like a clarification on the point to see if my reading is
> correct, and secondly, I'd really like to see policy adjusted to
> explicitly forbid or allow this use in the examples (cosmetics, really).
The concern I have with raising this issue in the Policy context is that
Policy is not really keeping up even with the uncontroversial changes to
Debian packaging standards, and we do not have a process that works well
for highly controversial topics.
The nature of these packages has been the topic of very hot flamewars on
debian-devel already, and I find it very unlikely that we'd be able to
reach any consensus via the Policy process on their merits.
I think that, if you want to raise formal objections to this package
approach, it would need to go to the Technical Committee instead.
That said, the other thing I would say is that sometimes it's worth
bending rules or accepting things that feel like a misuse of a facility if
it defuses social tension. It's more important that we all work together
on Debian than that we follow any specific packaging rule. I think part
of the debate over these packages is precisely whether they're divisive or
defusing, but given that there seems to be some good faith progress
towards things like changing the name of the package, I'm not sure this is
something on which it's worth pushing all that hard.
The ftp-masters can, and should, arrive at their own conclusions using
their own process for NEW acceptance, and I'm happy to let them follow
whatever process they choose. But more broadly in the project I think
it's worth thinking about whether this is a place where time will heal
wounds. We're *very* early in the process of adopting systemd, and I
think people's discomfort will decrease with time.
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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