Bug#1110017: debian-policy: Priority should no longer be `recommended`
Hi!
On Thu, 2025-10-02 at 21:03:14 +0000, Nilesh Patra wrote:
> On 2025-10-02 23:53, Sean Whitton wrote:
> > On Thu 02 Oct 2025 at 04:38pm +02, Guillem Jover wrote:
> > > Also, not sure whether to make it explicit as in "not specified in any
> > > of the stanzas" but perhaps that's unnecessary.
>
> Guillem, if a source package has no Priority field in the source stanza
> and has binary packages `foo` and `bar`; let's say `foo` has "Priority:
> Required" in its binary stanza, and `bar` omits this field altogether.
> In such case, dpkg will default to "Priority: Optional" for `bar` and
> "Priority: Required" shall be chosen for `foo` right?
Yes. A binary package will get the Priority field first from an
explicit Priority field in a binary package stanza, otherwise it is
inherited from an explicit field in the source package stanza, and
otherwise it uses the new "optional" default.
> In that case the wording "not specified in any of the stanzas" for dpkg
> to default to "Priority: Optional"
> may sound a little bit confusing. It may lead to someone thinking for
> the above case that `bar` may _not_ be
> chosen with "Priority: Optional" (as `foo` specifies this field)?
Sorry, I meant that phrasing as to convey what I meant not what should
appear as-is in policy (should have made that clear).
> I've tried to reword this in a less confusing way. Please take a look
> below, and just tell me to fix it
> further if it still isn't looking good and I'll revise it.
Thanks, your wording looks indeed more clear. :)
> diff --git a/policy/ch-archive.rst b/policy/ch-archive.rst
> index 302dc8d..764ef76 100644
> --- a/policy/ch-archive.rst
> +++ b/policy/ch-archive.rst
> @@ -376,11 +376,16 @@ Priorities
> ----------
>
> Each package must have a *priority* value, which is set in the metadata
> -for the Debian archive and is also included in the package's control
> -files (see :ref:`s-f-Priority`). This information is used
> +for the Debian archive and is also included in the package's binary
> +control files (see :ref:`s-f-Priority`). This information is used
> to control which packages are included in standard or minimal Debian
> installations.
Re-reading the change, I'm not sure this change is correct. The
priority also appears in the .changes and .dsc files.
> +Starting with dpkg version 1.22.13, the *Priority* of a binary package is
> +set to ``optional`` unless specified otherwise in the source or binary stanzas
Perhaps "in the source or its binary stanza"?
> +in the source package template control file.
> +Therefore, explicitly specifying *Priority* as ``optional`` may be omitted.
> +
> Most Debian packages will have a priority of ``optional``. Priority
> levels other than ``optional`` are only used for packages that should be
> included by default in a standard installation of Debian.
Thanks,
Guillem
Reply to: