I'd like to file a bug against the communication in this report. Also,
there is a caesura at the end leading to a breakup that is hard to
follow.

Actually, here's an explanation to save others time:
1. Neil Wilson uploads a package
2. Lucas Nussbaum and Scott Kitterman and others disagree with details about 
the packaging
3. They discuss it in ubuntu-devel here: 
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2008-August/026212.html
4. A bug is filed against the uploaded package by Scott Kitterman: 
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libgems-ruby/+bug/262063
5. The uploaded package is reverted by the powers that be
6. The problem will not be fixed this cycle :(

As Scott Kitterman says above, there could be a long useless discussion
about who is being more arrogant or dense or passive-aggressive. In
general I see a lot of confusion about priorities in the Debian
packaging system, as well as some pervasive confusion about the
relationship of Debian policy to the *two different packaging systems*
(I think Lucas Nussbaum and Neil Wilson both understood the precise
issues, but some others got confused). The best thing to do is start
planning for the next cycle on this, especially to make certain process
decisions and get certain clarifications and commitments now.

I would suggest:

0. Clarify that "don't use gems" isn't a solution. Gems are used for different 
reasons than Deb packages.
1. Clarify that Debian policy affects the installation of the rubygems files, 
but not "the installation of gem files by rubygems".
2. Clarify that Debian policy frowns on installing _any_ rubygems files (that 
is, files carried by the Apt package) into /usr/local/ AND that there is a 
resistance to simply adding /var/lib/gems/1.{8,9}/bin to the path. The first is 
clear but not done by any proposed Rubygems Deb package (right?). The argument 
for the second is that gem binaries could then supercede system binaries. We 
need to clarify whether this is really beyond the pale, since the decision to 
install a gem is an administrator decision, not a user decision. In other 
words, installing a gem is equivalent to installing a source package except 
that gems allow for quick uninstall.
3. Commit that *if* Debian rejects movement toward a solution, Ubuntu _can_ 
maintain its own solution.
4. Clarify what if any changes are required/suggested for upstream
5. Commit that *if* upstream is unresponsive or uninterested, Ubuntu _can_ 
maintain its own patches.

I'd like to help make this happen for the next cycle and to get a
package candidate released into a PPA that Intrepid users can be
directed to.

-- 
Add rubygems bin to PATH
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/145267
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