On Fri, Jun 06, 2003 at 01:52:58PM +0100, Colin Watson wrote:
[...]
I propose this patch:
--- policy.sgml~ 2003-07-21 12:17:53.000000000 +0200
+++ policy.sgml 2003-07-21 12:31:13.000000000 +0200
@@ -779,11 +779,24 @@
</p>
<p>
- Packages must not depend on packages with lower priority
+ Packages should not depend on packages with lower priority
values (excluding build-time dependencies). In order to
ensure this, the priorities of one or more packages may need
to be adjusted.
</p>
+
+ <p>
+ Note that actual priorities of packages in the Debian archive
+ are set with the so-called override files, which are maintained
+ by the archive maintenance team.
+ <footnote>
+ In practice, this means that even if the package maintainer
+ uploads a "fixed" version of the package, the priority will
+ still be wrong in the Packages file until an ftpmaster goes
+ and changes the override. Thus, mass-filing bug reports
+ against individual packages for this is strongly discouraged.
+ </footnote>
+ </p>
</sect>
</chapt>
It more or less documents the current practice. It may not stop kneejerk
mass bug filing, but then again, maybe nothing will.
--
2. That which causes joy or happiness.
