Re: Ping as normal user (Was: Why /usr/sbin is not in my root $PATH ?)
Hi,
Curt wrote:
> >> https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=780721
> >> (libcap2-bin is recommended but is not a dependancy of iputils-ping,
> >> because "iputils-ping, as priority 'important', cannot declare a
> >> dependency on libcap2-bin, which is priority 'optional'").
> Why is my Stretch apt-cache command telling me it's priority optional?
> Or am I once again missing some essential thing?
The statement in bug 780721 seems to be outdated. The priority
rules have been changed since then. The package maintainer does not
have the last say on this, anyways.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/dreq.en.html#control
Section and priority are used by front-ends like aptitude when they
sort packages and select defaults. Once you upload the package to Debian,
the value of these two fields can be overridden by the archive
maintainers, in which case you will be notified by email.
https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-archive.html#s-priorities
The priority of a package is determined solely by the functionality
it provides directly to the user. The priority of a package should
not be increased merely because another higher-priority package depends
on it; instead, the tools used to construct Debian installations will
correctly handle package dependencies. In particular, this means that
C-like libraries will almost never have a priority above optional,
since they do not provide functionality directly to users. However,
as an exception, the maintainers of Debian installers may request an
increase of the priority of a package to resolve installation issues
and ensure that the correct set of packages is included in a standard
or minimal install.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
So the explanation in
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=780721#10
iputils-ping, as priority "important", cannot declare a dependency on
libcap2-bin, which is priority "optional".
is wrong and in direct contradiction to The Policy.
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=780721#20
quotes exactly the above policy paragraph as
Packages must not depend on packages with lower priority values
(excluding build-time dependencies). In order to ensure this, the
priorities of one or more packages may need to be adjusted.
which i cannot see there any more.
The change probably happened in august 2017:
https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/upgrading-checklist.html#version-4-0-1
2.5
[...] Packages may now depend on packages with a lower priority. [...]
Last message in https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=780721
is of february 2016.
So this bug could need an update and iputils-ping could now depend on
libcap2-bin.
As we see in
https://tracker.debian.org/media/packages/i/iputils/control-320180629-2
it is not done yet:
Package: iputils-ping
...
Recommends: libcap2-bin
Have a nice day :)
Thomas
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