Hi Micha, Thanks for the bug report.
Micha vor dem Berge wrote:
> The plugin apache_accesses needs the package libwww-perl. Maybe, the other
> apache_ plugins also need this package (don't know). If it the package
> is not installed, running the plugins fails with the following message:
>
> Can't locate object method "new" via package "LWP::UserAgent" at
> ./apache_accesses line 130.
>
> libwww-perl is suggested, but needs to be a dependency.
According to the debian policy regarding package binary dependencies [1] :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Depends
This declares an absolute dependency. A package will not be configured
unless all of the packages listed in its Depends field have been correctly
configured.
The Depends field should be used if the depended-on package is required
for the depending package to provide a significant amount of functionality.
The Depends field should also be used if the postinst, prerm or postrm
scripts require the package to be present in order to run. Note, however, that
the postrm cannot rely on any non-essential packages to be present during the
purge phase.
Recommends
This declares a strong, but not absolute, dependency.
The Recommends field should list packages that would be found together
with this one in all but unusual installations.
Suggests
This is used to declare that one package may be more useful with one or
more others. Using this field tells the packaging system and the user that the
listed packages are related to this one and can perhaps enhance its
usefulness, but that installing this one without them is perfectly reasonable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
libwww-perl is needed only for the apache_* plugins, so it's not an absolute
dependency (munin-node will run just fine without it). It also doesn't fit in
the "Recommends" section, as it is not a strong dependency.
It looks like the correct place for libwww-perl is in the suggested section,
as it is today. This allows munin-node users which don't use the apache_*
plugins not to install libwww-perl as they don't need it, and those who do
need it, get a hint that they need it by the "Suggests" section. (The package
managers show this information).
I hope this clarifies why libwww-perl is in the suggested section.
Regards,
Tom Feiner
[1] - http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps
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