Bug#941803: debian-policy: dependencies on font packages

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Stephen Kitt <skitt@debian.org> writes:

> Is the following suitable?

Yup, this looks great.  Seconded.  Once this gets one more second, we'll
apply it.

> From d5895ca185fa1d678a098697d9e1c601c84f45dd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Stephen Kitt <skitt@debian.org>
> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2019 21:09:52 +0200
> Subject: [PATCH] Allow strong dependencies on X font packages

> The X server shipped in Debian no longer supports remote retrieval of
> fonts from an X font server, so it no longer makes sense to forbid
> packages from strongly depending on X font packages. On the contrary,
> since local fonts are now the only way for an X program to obtain its
> fonts, packages which require specific fonts to operate should depend
> on the corresponding font package. (This is already common practice
> for non-X font packages.)

> Closes: #941803
> Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt <skitt@debian.org>
> ---
>  policy/ch-customized-programs.rst | 17 +++++++++--------
>  1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

> diff --git a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> index dbba4fc..dfe6ce4 100644
> --- a/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> +++ b/policy/ch-customized-programs.rst
> @@ -380,11 +380,10 @@ themselves.
>  1.  Fonts of any type supported by the X Window System must be in a
>      separate binary package from any executables, libraries, or
>      documentation (except that specific to the fonts shipped, such as
> -    their license information). If one or more of the fonts so packaged
> -    are necessary for proper operation of the package with which they
> -    are associated the font package may be Recommended; if the fonts
> -    merely provide an enhancement, a Suggests relationship may be used.
> -    Packages must not Depend on font packages.  [#]_
> +    their license information). Packages which require one or more of
> +    the fonts thus packaged should Depend on the font package; if the
> +    fonts merely provide an enhancement, a Recommends or Suggests
> +    relationship may be used.  [#]_
>  
>  2.  BDF fonts must be converted to PCF fonts with the ``bdftopcf``
>      utility (available in the ``xfonts-utils`` package, ``gzip``\ ped,
> @@ -617,9 +616,11 @@ installed in ``/usr/share/man/man6``.
>     Window System, however, must abide by this font policy.
>  
>  .. [#]
> -   This is because the X server may retrieve fonts from the local file
> -   system or over the network from an X font server; the Debian package
> -   system is empowered to deal only with the local file system.
> +   In the past, the X server could retrieve fonts from the local file
> +   system or over the network from an X font server, so packages were
> +   forbidden from declaring a Depends relationship with font
> +   packages. This is no longer the case: the X font server shipped in
> +   Debian no longer supports remote font retrieval.
>  
>  .. [#]
>     Note that this mechanism is not the same as using app-defaults;

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