[Pkg-netmeasure-discuss] Bug#907235: python3-scapy: Please provide package without large 'Recommends'

[Scott Moser]

Package: python3-scapy
Version: 2.4.0-2
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

The current version (2.4.0-2) of python3-scapy has Recommends
 Recommends: tcpdump, ipython3, python3-matplotlib, python3-pyx, graphviz

Version 2.3.3-3 had those as 'Suggests'.  The change on "Recommends by
default" systems such as Ubuntu means that any package that wants to
Depend on scapy gets a huge stack of additional packages installed.

A fresh ubuntu server install means currently adding python3-scapy
will bring in 202 newly installed packages taking 583MB.

Could the Recommends be moved back to Suggests? Alternatively, a
package could be added 'scapy' that included the dependencies while the
python3-scapy would only provide the python library itself.

Thanks,
Scott

-- System Information:
Debian Release: buster/sid
  APT prefers cosmic
  APT policy: (500, 'cosmic')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 4.17.0-6-generic (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

Versions of packages python3-scapy depends on:
ii  python3  3.6.6-1

Versions of packages python3-scapy recommends:
ii  graphviz            2.40.1-3
ii  ipython3            5.5.0-1
pn  python3-matplotlib  <none>
pn  python3-pyx         <none>
ii  tcpdump             4.9.2-3

Versions of packages python3-scapy suggests:
ii  ebtables                         2.0.10.4-3.5ubuntu5
pn  gv                               <none>
pn  hexer                            <none>
ii  imagemagick                      8:6.9.10.2+dfsg-3ubuntu2
ii  imagemagick-6.q16 [imagemagick]  8:6.9.10.2+dfsg-3ubuntu2
pn  librsvg2-bin                     <none>
ii  python3-crypto                   2.6.1-9build1
pn  python3-geoip                    <none>
ii  sox                              14.4.2-3
pn  tcpreplay                        <none>
pn  wireshark                        <none>

-- no debconf information