Bug#539781: grub: Please consider using NEWS.Debian instead of debconf note

[Josh Triplett]

On Tue, Aug 04, 2009 at 04:15:00PM +0200, Robert Millan wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 03, 2009 at 03:03:22PM -0700, Josh Triplett wrote:
> > On Mon, Aug 03, 2009 at 06:52:14PM +0200, Robert Millan wrote:
> > > On Mon, Aug 03, 2009 at 09:04:47AM -0700, Josh Triplett wrote:
> > > > Package: grub
> > > > Version: 0.97-55
> > > > Severity: normal
> > > > 
> > > > The grub package presents the deprecation warning of grub-legacy (in
> > > > favor of grub 2) using a debconf note.  Please consider using
> > > > NEWS.Debian instead.  This would make the note less intrusive, equally
> > > > effective, and groupable with news from other packages.  It also makes
> > > > it easier to go back and read the news again later.
> > > 
> > > Hi Josh,
> > > 
> > > This note is important.  Is NEWS.Debian _always_ displayed?  I have the
> > > impression that this is not so.
> > > 
> > > Are you sure this doesn't require a specific package to be installed, or
> > > something like that?
> > 
> > apt-listchanges displays NEWS.Debian by default if installed.  Nothing
> > *forces* the installation of apt-listchanges, but note that packages use
> > NEWS.Debian for notes at least as important as the one from grub (along
> > the lines of "do this or stuff will break", "$FOO is deprecated", or "no
> > longer contains $FOO functionality, use other package").
> 
> If we want to do this without undermining the effectiveness of this note,
> then we'd have to Depend on apt-listchanges.  Actually, depending on the
> phase in which NEWS.Debian is processed, we might even need Pre-Depends.
> 
> Are you sure this would be a sound move?

No, obviously grub should not depend on apt-listchanges.  I'd like to
question, though, why you consider this note important enough to force
on the user, whereas numerous other notes of similar content (including
deprecation warnings) from other packages simply use NEWS.Debian.

Meanwhile, a quick survey of the packages on my system shows debconf
notes used for much more urgent matters, typically caused by a failure
in the maintainer scripts.  I see few if any unconditional notes like
the one in grub.

> Anyhow, note that this note is temporary.  We'll most likely remove it
> and change the dependency from:
> 
>   grub -> grub-legacy
> 
> to:
> 
>   grub -> grub-pc
> 
> before the Squeeze release.

I figured the dependency would change before squeeze.  If the note goes
away with that change, and thus doesn't bother users running stable and
doing a stable->stable upgrade, then I guess I can live with it.

- Josh Triplett