Bug#649376: gnome: Dependency on totem-mozilla violating Debian-Policy

[Oliver Rompcik]

Dear Josselin Mouette,

Josselin Mouette schrieb:
> Le dimanche 20 novembre 2011 à 18:15 +0100, Oliver Rompcik a écrit :
>> Josselin Mouette schrieb:
>> > Le dimanche 20 novembre 2011 à 13:32 +0100, Oliver Rompcik a écrit :
>> >> The dependency of gnome on totem-mozilla violates Debian Policy
>> (3.5),
>> >
>> > Are you serious?
>>
>> Absolutely: "Every package must specify the dependency information about
>> other packages that are REQUIRED for the first to work correctly."
>
> Good. Then since gnome is a metapackage, by definition everything it
> depends on is required for it to work correctly, since its only feature
> is to depend on packages.

That's an non-logical abstraction. Following this the metapackage could be
dependend on everything.

But following Debian Policy, expecially Chapter 5 and 7, a dependency is
defined absolute precisely. It is written for "depends" that "This
declares an absolute dependency". And here the requirement for such a
dependency is not met.

>> So why not change it recommends: or suggests: ??? Is there at least one
>> reason?
>
> METAPACKAGES ARE NOT A SUPERMARKET.

You are now argumenting against yourself. That's what I say. Try to
minimize dependecies.

But I'd like to repeat my question, which is still unanswered:

Is there any technical reason for gnome beeing dependend on totem-mozilla
(and why especially totem-mozilla, not for example mozilla-plugin-vlc)?

Or is it just YOUR preference, beeing one of totem's authors?

You know, gnome is an essential package, since a lot of system packages
depend on it. Trying to force people to use some software they do not need
- maybe to push own software - is absolutely unnecessary and a controversy
to the debian packaging system.

So what stands technically against altering the Depends to Suggests??

With best regards,
Oliver Rompcik

>
> /me goes adding a presubj to meta-gnome3.
> --
>  .''`.      Josselin Mouette
> : :' :
> `. `'
>   `-
>