Re: Bug#383958: lintian: python-script-but-no-python-dep error with python-support

[Adeodato Simó <dato@net.com.org.es>]

* Russ Allbery [Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:30:39 -0700]:

> Please don't rely on transitive dependencies.  It's just a lurking bug
> waiting to happen.  Your package contains a Python script which requires a
> Python interpreter.  It should therefore depend on the package that
> provides the Python interpreter.  Unless python-support is defined to
> provide a Python interpreter, it's not the correct package to depend on
> for that purpose.

> In general, for every interface, system service, or binary that your
> package uses, you should depend directly on the package that provides that
> interface, system service, or binary unless that package is essential, and
> not assume that some other dependency will provide it for you.  Time and
> again, transitions in Debian have proven that such assumptions break over
> time and suddenly make packages RC-buggy.  Yes, sometimes it's very
> unlikely that such a transition will happen, but I think it's better as a
> general rule to be sure.

JFTR, the bug is solely in python-support, and not in the package
lacking the dependency: although not advertised in the description
(which is user-oriented), python-support also takes care at build time
of generating a list of needed dependencies and placing it in the
${python:Depends} substvar.

With this, it's reasonable to expect for it to provide a correct list of
such dependencies, which should include "python" for packages shiping
scripts invoking /usr/bin/python.

Thanks,

-- 
Adeodato Simó                                     dato at net.com.org.es
Debian Developer                                  adeodato at debian.org
 
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