Josh Triplett <j...@joshtriplett.org> writes: > Based on a thread on debian-devel about Recommends, I'd like to propose > the attached change to policy, which limits the strongest dependency a > package should declare on its supplemental -doc package.
> This mostly documents existing practice. Packages don't tend to declare > Depends on their -doc packages at all. Packages primarily used for > development don't tend to declare Recommends on their -doc packages to > avoid installing them by default on the systems of developers who just > want the package installed to support development of some other package. > Likewise, command-line tools that already provide a manpage or a text > manual don't tend to declare Recommends on a -doc package providing an > HTML manual for that tool. > The phrasing of "at most" avoids mandating any minimum dependency > relationship, leaving it up to the maintainer's discretion how much the > prospective user of a package will want the corresponding -doc package. [...] Looks reasonable to me. Seconded. > diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml > index 404dc73..421e0d1 100644 > --- a/policy.sgml > +++ b/policy.sgml > @@ -10699,6 +10699,18 @@ END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY > </p> > > <p> > + If <var>package</var> is a build tool, development tool, > + command-line tool, or library development package, > + <var>package</var> (or <var>package</var>-dev in the case of a > + library development package) already provides documentation in > + man, info, or plain text format, and <var>package</var>-doc > + provides HTML or other formats, <var>package</var> should declare > + at most a <tt>Suggests</tt> on <var>package</var>-doc. Otherwise, > + <var>package</var> should declare at most a <tt>Recommends</tt> on > + <var>package</var>-doc. > + </p> > + > + <p> > Additional documentation included in the package should be > installed under <file>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var></file>. > If the documentation is packaged separately, -- Russ Allbery (r...@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
