[Pkg-javascript-devel] Bug#918388: Bug#918388: nodejs should depend or recommend npm

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Quoting Pirate Praveen (2019-01-05 19:05:16)
> Since upstream nodejs comes with npm, people installing nodejs in 
> debian expect npm to be available.

For the record:

I agree that _some_ people installing nodejs expect npm to be available.

I disagree, however, that all but exotic uses of the binary package 
nodejs require npm to be available - quite contrary, I believe that uses 
involving npm are tied to _development_ more than _execution_ of nodejs, 
and therefore more sensibly relates to nodejs-dev than (binary) nodejs.

Also, I believe the relationship between nodejs-dev and npm is 
directional - i.e. npm that needs nodejs-dev whereas there a plenty of 
uses of nodejs-dev not requiring npm.

It may be that people familiar with nodejs outside Debian has come to 
expect it to ship "batteries included" and we may want to address that - 
not by having binary package nodejs recommend npb, but by offering 
metapackage nodejs-all which depends on or recommends the equivalent of 
installing the source package - e.g. libraries, executables, 
documentation, development headers, helper tools, and example files.

I doubt, however, that such metapackage would have much real value, so 
am only mentioning that for clarification (and invitation for others to 
consider spending time implementing).

Hope that clarifies my rather terse previous post to this bugreport.


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

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