HardyRecommendsHandling

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Debian is about to switch to installing recommends by default (the debian policy says they should be installed in all but the most unusual situations). We need to decide if/when we are going to follow.  Debian switched to installing recommends by default (the debian policy
says they should be installed in all but the most unusual
situations). We want to do the same for hardy.
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TBD All package tools like apt, aptitude, synaptic will install packages
marked as Recommends now (in addition to the ones marked as
Depends).

This gives the user a more flexible package managmanet experience.
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Recommends are a powerful way of declaring that a dependency is strongly encouraged but not absolutely essential for the package to run. This makes our packaging more flexible. Recommends are a powerful way of declaring that a dependency is
strongly encouraged but not absolutely essential for the package to
run. This makes our packaging more flexible.
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If we enable recommends by default, we get ~20 new packages in the default ubuntu-desktop. The list can be checked via:
$ sudo apt-get install --fix-policy --install-recommends -o Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=1		 The recommends code is part of libapt now, the design of apt does not
need to be modified.
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No changes to apt-get are required (just to flipp a switch). Synaptic should get improved support in the UI for recommends. Apt needs to be changed so that it installs
recommends-by-default. This is only a configuration change, no code
changes are required. The code that allow installing recommends only
for selected sections should go away as it is no longer required.
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Gnome-app-install should install recommended packages by default as well. Synaptic should get a better user interface for recommends support,
new filters "installed/not installed recommmends" should be added to
the UI.

Gnome-app-install will install recommended packages by default because
it follows apt here.

The adept code needs to be checked, its likely that it needs to be
changed as well because it is quite different from the original apt
code and reimplements a lot of interfaces.
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We should consider making it easy for the user to get the missing recommends. A synaptic filter for "not installed recommends" or something similar would be good. If we enable recommends by default, we get ~20 new packages in the
default ubuntu-desktop. The list can be checked via:

{{{
apt-get install --fix-policy --install-recommends -o Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=1
}}}

Colin will modify germinate so that it can generate a list of
changes if we install recommends-by-default. The list needs to be
reviewed and the packages fixed before the upload with
recommends-by-default of apt is done.

A list of all packages with recommends will be generated for main,
universe so that the MOTU team can have a look what makes sense
and what does not:
{{{
gnopernicus: gnome-mag
...
}}}

We should consider making it easy for the user to get the missing
recommends. A synaptic filter for "not installed recommends" will be
added.
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== Outstanding Issues ==

Is hardy the right time for this (being a LTS etc)? Or should we postpone the changes to hardy+1?

== BoF agenda and discussion ==

Use this section to take notes during the BoF; if you keep it in the approved spec, use it for summarising what was discussed and note any options that were rejected.

Please check the status of this specification in Launchpad before editing it. If it is Approved, contact the Assignee or another knowledgeable person before making changes.

Summary

Debian switched to installing recommends by default (the debian policy says they should be installed in all but the most unusual situations). We want to do the same for hardy.

Release Note

All package tools like apt, aptitude, synaptic will install packages marked as Recommends now (in addition to the ones marked as Depends).

This gives the user a more flexible package managmanet experience.

Rationale

Recommends are a powerful way of declaring that a dependency is strongly encouraged but not absolutely essential for the package to run. This makes our packaging more flexible.

Use Cases

  • Bob has limited vision. He installed gnopernicus and is supsrised that gnome-mag does not get installed (it is "only" recommended gnome-mag)

Design

The recommends code is part of libapt now, the design of apt does not need to be modified.

Implementation

Apt needs to be changed so that it installs recommends-by-default. This is only a configuration change, no code changes are required. The code that allow installing recommends only for selected sections should go away as it is no longer required.

Synaptic should get a better user interface for recommends support, new filters "installed/not installed recommmends" should be added to the UI.

Gnome-app-install will install recommended packages by default because it follows apt here.

The adept code needs to be checked, its likely that it needs to be changed as well because it is quite different from the original apt code and reimplements a lot of interfaces.

UI Changes

The "mark changes" dialog in synpatic should get support for recommends.

Migration

If we enable recommends by default, we get ~20 new packages in the default ubuntu-desktop. The list can be checked via: 

apt-get install --fix-policy --install-recommends -o Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=1

Colin will modify germinate so that it can generate a list of changes if we install recommends-by-default. The list needs to be reviewed and the packages fixed before the upload with recommends-by-default of apt is done.

A list of all packages with recommends will be generated for main, universe so that the MOTU team can have a look what makes sense and what does not: 

gnopernicus: gnome-mag
...

We should consider making it easy for the user to get the missing recommends. A synaptic filter for "not installed recommends" will be added.

Test/Demo Plan

TBD

CategorySpec

HardyRecommendsHandling (last edited 2008-08-06 16:21:21 by localhost)