[DRE-maint] Bug#901338: gitlab: dependency on postgresql-contrib pulls in postgresql server

[devel at sumpfralle.de]

Hello,


On Mon, 11 Jun 2018 18:39:42 +0200 Frederik Himpe <fhimpe at ai.vub.ac.be> wrote:
> Personally I already have a postgresql server running on another host,
> which I want to use for gitlab, so I would prefer a suggest or recommend
> dependency instead of a hard dependency.

same for me: given the complexity of a gitlab installation itself, it is a
reasonable decision to separate the database server from the gitlab host itself.
I assume, this is a common approach for for many non-trivial gitlab setups.


The policy [1] describes the "Recommends" field as follows:

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

I am tempted to say, that the dependency on the postgresql server should be
even lighter (e.g. "Suggests"). But I understand, that it will be helpful for
beginners to achieve a complete single-host setup with apt's default behaviour.
Thus "Recommends" may be a suitable option.

Anyway: the current usage of "Depends" for "postgresql-contrib" feels
inappropriate to me.

Cheers,
Lars


[1] https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html