[Pkg-javascript-devel] must node-* packages depend on nodejs or not?

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Quoting Pirate Praveen (2020-09-06 15:12:59)
> 
> 
> On Sun, Sep 6, 2020 at 15:04, Jonas Smedegaard <dr at jones.dk> wrote:
> > a) node-* packages _only_ shipping nodejs library code should _not_ 
> > depend on nodejs.
> > 
> 
> Sounds good, may be we should change npm2deb to make it default as well.

I don't use npm2deb myself, but I encourage making such change.


> > c) node-* packages shipping both nodejs library code and a 
> > user-facing non-essential executable should _recommend_ nodejs.
> 
> I don't think we should recommend nodejs as excluding nodejs requires 
> a conscious choice since installing recommends is default in apt. 
> Suggests should be sufficient in my opinion.

Even if non-essential, CTTE ruling says it should "normally work":

>* When a package containing user-facing executable programs is installed,
>  those executables should normally work: that is, their dependencies
>  should usually be sufficient to run the executables.
>
>  - Exception: if the package collects multiple executables, it is OK for
>    less-critical executables (those outside the core functionality of
>    the package) to have additional dependencies that are only Recommends
>    or Suggests for the package. devscripts is a good example of this.
>
>  - Exception: executables in /usr/share/doc/*/examples may have
>    additional dependencies

I can only interpret "should normally work" to mean that interpreter 
should be either recommended or a dependency (suggesting is not enough).

That interpretation is in line with Debian Policy § 7.2:

> The Recommends field should list packages that would be found together 
> with this one in all but unusual installations.


> > d) node-* packages shipping both nodejs library code and a 
> > user-facing essential executable should ship the executable in a 
> > _separate_ non-library package which depends on the library package 
> > and nodejs, and the node-* package should _not_ depend on nodejs.
> 
> I don't think ftp masters will accept that, but your mileage may vary.

They already did, e.g. for packages uglifyjs.terser and uglifyjs.


 - Jonas

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

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