[Debconf-devel] Bug#709198: debconf: should not use python in maintainer scripts

[Simon McVittie]

On Sat, 18 May 2013 at 23:29:22 +0200, Richard Hartmann wrote:
> Broken Python upgrade left me without working debconf.

I can't help thinking that this would be a lot more robust if debconf.deb
(which is pseudo-Essential) didn't ship language bindings for a
non-Essential programming language. perl-base and sh are Essential,
but python (even the -minimal flavour) isn't.

According to <https://codesearch.debian.net/search?q=import+debconf> and
<https://codesearch.debian.net/search?q=from+debconf+import>, if
debconf.py was split out into python-debconf and python3-debconf as per
<https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/python-policy/>,
the only packages that would need changes (RC bug + versioned Breaks)
would be apt-listchanges and greylistd.

That seems maybe a worthwhile thing to do post-stretch?

Regards,
    S
    conceptually at the Cambridge BSP