Bug#370720: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends is bodus
Russ Allbery writes: martin f krafft [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Package: lintian Version: 1.23.21 Severity: normal W: mdadm: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends recommends: mail-transport-agent N: N: The package declares a depends on a virtual package without listing a N: real package as an alternative first. N: N: A real package should be listed in the first part of the | dependency N: in order for the package to be installable by package management N: programs that can't or won't guess which alternative to select by N: default. In particular, it helps build daemons rebuild the package N: without manual overrides. N: N: Refer to Policy Manual, section 7.4 for details. This makes no sense. Build daemons are only concerned about build-depends, and there isn't one package management programme in Debian that can't pick an alternative. Please at least don't show this warning for recommends/suggests. If package A Build-Depends on package B which in turn then Depends on virtual package C, I can see two possibilities: either the package system will want to prompt someone for what package to install, which won't work because it's non-interactive, or the installed package to satisfy the dependency on virtual package C will be chosen essentially at random. The latter leaves open the possibility that a different choice will be made next time, meaning that we no longer have a consistent and reproducible build environment. That strikes me as bad, although I'm not sure it's bad enough to warrant the lintian warning. I'd at least want to see some more discussion of that first. Since you ask for discussion :-). I just got this lintian warning (I replaced emacs21 | xemacs21 by emacsen in my depends field) and I have a little complaint as well. Policy Manual, section 7.4 does not say that a real package must be included in the dependency. It just says The effect is as if the package(s) which provide a particular virtual package name had been listed by name everywhere the virtual package name appears. I understand the usefulness of this requirement but then shouldn't the Policy Manual be updated to say this? thanks k -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bug#370720: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends is bodus
Package: lintian Version: 1.23.21 Severity: normal W: mdadm: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends recommends: mail-transport-agent N: N: The package declares a depends on a virtual package without listing a N: real package as an alternative first. N: N: A real package should be listed in the first part of the | dependency N: in order for the package to be installable by package management N: programs that can't or won't guess which alternative to select by N: default. In particular, it helps build daemons rebuild the package N: without manual overrides. N: N: Refer to Policy Manual, section 7.4 for details. N: This makes no sense. Build daemons are only concerned about build-depends, and there isn't one package management programme in Debian that can't pick an alternative. Please at least don't show this warning for recommends/suggests. -- Please do not send copies of list mail to me; I read the list! .''`. martin f. krafft [EMAIL PROTECTED] : :' :proud Debian developer and author: http://debiansystem.info `. `'` `- Debian - when you have better things to do than fixing a system signature.asc Description: Digital signature (GPG/PGP)
Bug#370720: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends is bodus
martin f krafft [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Package: lintian Version: 1.23.21 Severity: normal W: mdadm: virtual-package-depends-without-real-package-depends recommends: mail-transport-agent N: N: The package declares a depends on a virtual package without listing a N: real package as an alternative first. N: N: A real package should be listed in the first part of the | dependency N: in order for the package to be installable by package management N: programs that can't or won't guess which alternative to select by N: default. In particular, it helps build daemons rebuild the package N: without manual overrides. N: N: Refer to Policy Manual, section 7.4 for details. This makes no sense. Build daemons are only concerned about build-depends, and there isn't one package management programme in Debian that can't pick an alternative. Please at least don't show this warning for recommends/suggests. If package A Build-Depends on package B which in turn then Depends on virtual package C, I can see two possibilities: either the package system will want to prompt someone for what package to install, which won't work because it's non-interactive, or the installed package to satisfy the dependency on virtual package C will be chosen essentially at random. The latter leaves open the possibility that a different choice will be made next time, meaning that we no longer have a consistent and reproducible build environment. That strikes me as bad, although I'm not sure it's bad enough to warrant the lintian warning. I'd at least want to see some more discussion of that first. I think I agree with you on recommends/suggests. Unless any other lintian maintainer has an objection, I'll exempt recommends/suggests from this check. -- Russ Allbery ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
