"Recommends" for hard dependency?
Hello people. This is about:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=747716
Currently libqt5sql5-sqlite is given as a recommends and not a depends
for qttools5-dev-tools
(https://packages.debian.org/sid/qttools5-dev-tools) whereas
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/bin/assistant, one of the programs
installed by the latter package, cannot even start up without
libqt5sql5-sqlite being installed. I hence requested to change it to
depends.
The developers say "no, recommends is right in this case since only
assistant requires it and the other tools in the package do not -- you
should have recommends installed by default in your system in most
cases -- if you don't, that's not a problem of the packaging".
I pointed out that the specification at
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/dreq.en.html#control
says to use depends "if your program absolutely will not run ...
unless a particular package is present." That guide does not speak
anything about multiple programs installed by a package, but IMO it
stands to reason that what is logical for one program installed by a
package applies for many programs installed by a single package as
well.
IOW, if I install a package I expect to be able to run all the
programs provided by it. Without a recommends being installed
alongside, maybe some of the functionality of those programs is
missing, but it should not fail to start altogether, which is what is
happening in this case.
IMO something that a program can't even start without should be a hard
dependency and not just a recommends. A user may disable installation
of recommends for whatever reason. This should not prevent the user
from even starting up the program!
I am posting this here since the developers seem to just disagree with
my point without providing any policy-based/logical reason. I want the
community to weigh in with their opinion as well.
Thanks.
--
Shriramana Sharma ஶ்ரீரமணஶர்மா श्रीरमणशर्मा
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