Bug#391502: Incorrect dependency on pmount

[Michael Biebl <biebl@teco.edu>]

Package: kdebase
Version: 4:3.5.5-1
Severity: serious
Justification: violates policy

The latest package update introduced a strict dependency on hal and
pmount. While the hal dependency is correct, the pmount dependency is
not. KDE simply calls the hal Mount()/Unmount() methods, nowhere in the
KDE code, pmount is actually used. If hal would use pmount internally to
do the actual mounting[1], fine, let the hal package declare the correct
dependencies. Adding the pmount dependency to kdebase is simply wrong
and violates the policy, which states that strict dependencies have to
reflect that the "depended-on package is required for the depending
package to provide a significant amount of functionality" which is not
the case here.
Please see also #388341, the Recommends: pmount of kdebase-kio-plugins
does not directly violate the policy, still it should be removed for the
same reasons.


Cheers,
Michael



[1] Apparently with hal-0.5.8.x, pmount is not used anymore by hal to do
the mounting. So pmount is now installed on my system for no good
reason.



-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (300, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages kdebase depends on:
ii  hal                          0.5.8.1-1   Hardware Abstraction Layer
ii  kappfinder                   4:3.5.5-1   non-KDE application finder for KDE
ii  kate                         4:3.5.5-1   advanced text editor for KDE
ii  kcontrol                     4:3.5.5-1   control center for KDE
ii  kdebase-bin                  4:3.5.5-1   core binaries for the KDE base mod
ii  kdebase-data                 4:3.5.5-1   shared data files for the KDE base
ii  kdebase-kio-plugins          4:3.5.5-1   core I/O slaves for KDE
ii  kdepasswd                    4:3.5.5-1   password changer for KDE
ii  kdeprint                     4:3.5.5-1   print system for KDE
ii  kdesktop                     4:3.5.5-1   miscellaneous binaries and files f
ii  kfind                        4:3.5.5-1   file-find utility for KDE
ii  khelpcenter                  4:3.5.5-1   help center for KDE
ii  kicker                       4:3.5.5-1   desktop panel for KDE
ii  klipper                      4:3.5.5-1   clipboard utility for KDE
ii  kmenuedit                    4:3.5.5-1   menu editor for KDE
ii  konqueror                    4:3.5.5-1   KDE's advanced file manager, web b
ii  konqueror-nsplugins          4:3.5.5-1   Netscape plugin support for Konque
ii  konsole                      4:3.5.5-1   X terminal emulator for KDE
ii  kpager                       4:3.5.5-1   desktop pager for KDE
ii  kpersonalizer                4:3.5.5-1   installation personalizer for KDE
ii  ksmserver                    4:3.5.5-1   session manager for KDE
ii  ksplash                      4:3.5.5-1   the KDE splash screen
ii  ksysguard                    4:3.5.5-1   system guard for KDE
ii  ktip                         4:3.5.5-1   useful tips for KDE
ii  kwin                         4:3.5.5-1   the KDE window manager
ii  libkonq4                     4:3.5.5-1   core libraries for Konqueror
ii  pmount                       0.9.13-1+b1 mount removable devices as normal 

Versions of packages kdebase recommends:
ii  kdm                           4:3.5.5-1  X display manager for KDE

-- no debconf information