]] Ian Jackson
> Tollef Fog Heen writes ("Re: Bug#862051: Allow nodejs to provide
> /usr/bin/node (draft resolution)"):
> > > Tollef Fog Heen writes ("Bug#862051: Allow nodejs to provide
> > > /usr/bin/node (draft resolution)"):
> > > > 1. The CTTE decision from 2012-07-12 in bug #614907 is repealed.
> > > >
> > > > This means Debian's normal policies and practices take over and the
> > > > nodejs package is free to provide /usr/bin/node. The migration should
> > > > be managed according to Debian's usual backwards-compatibility
> > > > arrangements.
> > >
> > > Can you please say that /usr/bin/nodejs should remain indefinitely.
> > > Otherwise someone may get it into their head to get rid of it.
> >
> > I think that's covered under the last sentence and don't think we should
> > add any extra restrictions on nodejs.
>
> I think a natural reading of "Debian's usual backwards-compatibility
> arrangements" applied to /usr/bin/nodejs would arguably involve
> keeping it only for a realease or two. But in fact, there is no
> reason to ever delete it (except for punishment purposes, as I discuss
> above).
I don't think there's a good reason to add extra restrictions on top of
what we generally do for other packages. Having a uniform set of rules
that apply to all packages has value. Special cases are
(technical|social|bureaucratic) debt.
As a non-contrived example, at some point nodejs might want to break
APIs in a way that make switching to /usr/bin/node2 makes sense. I
don't think keeping /usr/bin/nodejs would make sense then. I also think
having to have yet another CTTE decision allowing the maintainer to then
drop the symlink would be pure overhead, so I'd rather trust the
maintainer to be responsible and not break stuff unless there's a really
good reason for doing so.
As a separate point, it saddens me that you make it sound like the
maintainer has any incentive or wish to punish users. Why would they do
that?
> But I guess I will take that message as a promise of your support if
> my fears come to pass.
I don't give out promises unless I use wording to that effect.
--
Tollef Fog Heen
UNIX is user friendly, it's just picky about who its friends are
