On Fri, Apr 26, 2002 at 13:57:24 -0500, David Starner wrote:
> Will someone please take responsibility for this [EMAIL PROTECTED]@# bug!
The localepurge maintainer has taken responsibility for this problem by
extending it's description with the following note:
: Please note, that this tool is a hack which is *not* integrated with
: Debian's package management system and therefore is not for the faint of
: heart. Responsibility for it's usage and possible breakage of your system
: therefore lies in the sysadmin's (your) hands. Please definitely do
: abstain from reporting any bugs blaming localepurge if you break your
: system by using it. If you don't know what you are doing and can't handle
: any resulting breakage on your own then please simply don't use this
: package.
> These users are using localepurge in the exact way the instructions say
> to.
And now they're sufficiently warned IMHO.
> gij-3.0 should probably ignore the fact that update-alternatives is
> failing here, as hopefully post-Woody /usr/share/man that can be deleted
> with impunity.
If you as a system administrator delete files belonging to a package, be it
through rm, localepurge or vi /dev/hda, you have no right to expect the
package to cope with that.
> If localepurge should not be used ("don't do that then"), then it should
> not be in the distribution.
localepurge is a hack. The proper solution to the problem localepurge
addresses would be to amend policy to specify which files / directories may
be removed from a package without the maintainer scripts tripping over the
removal. That solution takes a lot of effort and time, and is thus not
feasible for woody. localepurge, used judiciously, can be a short term
solution. Using localepurge isn't something I'd recommend, but then again,
I'm not in its target audience.
If you believe localepurge should be removed, convince the localepurge
maintainer or the release manager of that.
> If it is in the distribution, then it must work when used according to the
> instructions.
The instructions now have a clear "here be dragons" in them. It would be
nice if localepurge's priority were changed from 'optional' to 'extra'
though, to reinforce them.
Ray
--
The "free" in "free software" refers to freedom, not price; specifically,
that all computer users should have the freedom to study, change, and
redistribute the software that they use.
RMS in http://weblog.mercurycenter.com/ejournal/stories/storyReader$664
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