Bug#864353: Please remove Recommends on bash-completion

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Quoting Ian Jackson (2017-06-07 14:48:53)
> Package: licensecheck
> Version: 3.0.29-1
> 
> I wrote in the debian-devel Recommends bunfight:
> 
> > Paul Wise writes ("Re: Too many Recommends (in particular on mail-transport-agent)"):
> > > I definitely would not want to run a Debian system that didn't have
> > > bash-completion installed. Being able to tab complete command-line
> > > arguments and apt package names are two examples of invaluable
> > > features this package provides.
> > 
> > I recognise that many feel that way; personally I hate bash-completion
> > and turn it off.  But that's beside the point.
> > 
> > Whether installing bash-completion is a good idea on a particular
> > system depends on the opinions and tastes (and finger macros) of its
> > administrators and users.  It does not depend on whether dput-ng or
> > licensecheck are installed.  So there the dput-ng and licensecheck
> > Recommends are silly.
> > 
> > And they cause actual lossage: bash-completion is installed by
> > default, so if it is not installed that's because the administrator
> > wanted it that way.  Trying to install dput-ng or licensecheck should
> > not pull in bash-completion as a side-effect.
> > 
> > The Recommends from bash is just the way that it gets installed by
> > default.  I think it would be better for it to be in tasksel.  A very
> > minimal machine (with no tasks, or some very minimal task) will work
> > fine with bash but without bash-completion.
> > 
> > AFAICT none of these three have been filed as a bug yet so I will do
> > that right away for dput-ng and licensecheck.
> > 
> > I guess for bash, the right answer would be to file bugs against
> > tasksel and bash, and block the bash bug with the tasksel bug ?
> > 
> > FAOD I am not trying to change the usual default from `with
> > bash-completion' to `without bash-completion'.  I'm just trying to
> > arrange that it's slightly easier not to have bash-completion if you
> > want to, and that it doesn't come back unexpectedly if you deinstall
> > it.
> 
> So, I hope you will agree that it is right to drop this Recommends.
> Thanks.

I do agree - now that you've elaborated which made me understand the 
issue.  Thanks for that!

 - Jonas

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

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