[Fsf-Debian] rar/unrar

[Michael Gilbert]

On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 4:42 PM, Bryan Quigley wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Continuing my attempt to find non-free programs that we no longer need
> unrar/rar came to my attention.   It's some of the most popular installed
> non-free packages in both Debian [1] and Ubuntu [2].  And apparently there
> is a free software program unar [3] that can replace the unrar part.
>
> Distributing the rar program, which is shareware (40 days need to
> register/buy), only helps people keep using the rar compression file format.
> This isn't one of those cases where we have to sacrifice anything, 7z
> (according to filetype:7z google search results) is more popular and has
> better compression in all useful cases today [4].
>
> I think it makes sense to remove both the unrar and rar nonfree programs
> from the nonfree repo in either Wheezy or Wheezy+1.  If not, we should
> investigate why so many users are installing unrar/rar.  Unrar has a number
> of Dependants that pull it in.  Many of them I don't understand why (Evince,
> Okular).

evince only 'Suggests' unrar, so it at least won't get installed
automatically; although you're right, why is it doing that.  Please
file a bug report requesting that the unrar suggests be replaced by
unrar-free.  I didn't look at ocular, but if its the same situation,
another bug report is the best approach.

Best wishes,
Mike