• Bug#976402: Bug#976902: topydo: provides /usr/bin/todo with incompatibl

    From Bill Allombert@21:1/5 to Dave Steele on Wed Dec 9 18:40:01 2020
    XPost: linux.debian.bugs.dist

    On Wed, Dec 09, 2020 at 12:00:23PM -0500, Dave Steele wrote:
    On Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 3:54 AM Ansgar <ansgar@debian.org> wrote:

    Package: topydo
    Version: 0.13-5
    Severity: serious

    Example use of `todo` from devtodo:

    +---
    | Add a task, like so:
    |
    | $ todo -a I should really update my homepage
    |
    | List all open tasks:
    |
    | $ todo
    |
    | Mark a task as complete:
    |
    | $ todo -d 1.2
    +---[ https://swapoff.org/devtodo1.html ]

    Example use of `topydo`:

    +---
    | topydo add "Water the flowers @Home rec:1w"
    | topydo ls
    | topydo do 2
    +---[ https://github.com/topydo/topydo ]

    But postinst registers topydo as an alternative for /usr/bin/todo.

    Debian Policy[1] requires binaries with the same name to provide the
    same functionality; given the command-line interfaces are
    incompatible, this doesn't seem to be the case here.

    I've reported this bug against topydo as it seems to just have taken
    over the name, but already has topydo and wouldn't need to take over
    the todo binary.

    Ansgar

    [1]: https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-files.html#binaries

    I disagree. The two packages provide the same functionality - the ability
    to add, remove, modify and display todo lists. Alternatives routinely offer different option sets and commands.

    /usr/bin/todo is not registered as an alternative by devtodo,
    so you cannot register it as an alternative in another package.
    The conflict between devtodo and topydo is not justified.

    I would have preferred a discussion on #976402 in advance of an RC bug report.

    Sorry, policy does not work that way. A policy proposal never delays a RC bug.

    Cheers,
    --
    Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

    Imagine a large red swirl here.

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  • From Dave Steele@21:1/5 to ballombe@debian.org on Wed Dec 9 21:40:02 2020
    XPost: linux.debian.bugs.dist

    On Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 12:40 PM Bill Allombert <ballombe@debian.org> wrote:

    On Wed, Dec 09, 2020 at 12:00:23PM -0500, Dave Steele wrote:

    /usr/bin/todo is not registered as an alternative by devtodo,
    so you cannot register it as an alternative in another package.
    The conflict between devtodo and topydo is not justified.


    Well, OK, but that's not the issue this bug introduced.

    I would have preferred a discussion on #976402 in advance of an RC bug
    report.

    Sorry, policy does not work that way. A policy proposal never delays a RC bug.


    I thought we were having an active discussion on the validity of the policy claim.
    That discussion is moot?

    <div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">On Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 12:40 PM Bill Allombert &lt;<a href="mailto:ballombe@debian.org">ballombe@debian.org</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;
    border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">On Wed, Dec 09, 2020 at 12:00:23PM -0500, Dave Steele wrote:<br><br>
    /usr/bin/todo is not registered as an alternative by devtodo,<br>
    so you cannot register it as an alternative in another package.<br>
    The conflict between devtodo and topydo is not justified.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Well, OK, but that&#39;s not the issue this bug introduced.</div><div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px
    solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">&gt; I would have preferred a discussion on #976402 in advance of an RC bug<br>
    &gt; report.<br>

    Sorry, policy does not work that way. A policy proposal never delays a RC bug.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I thought we were having an active discussion on the validity of the policy claim.</div><div>That discussion is moot?</div></div></div>

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  • From Dave Steele@21:1/5 to All on Thu Dec 10 00:30:02 2020
    XPost: linux.debian.bugs.dist

    I see two complaints about the "todo" virtual package:
    1) it encompasses applications that may not have sufficiently identical interfaces, and/or
    2) it uses Conflicts as a transition mechanism.

    Resolving (2) exceeds my threshold. I'll drop the todo package.

    That leaves todo.txt, implemented by topydo and (hopefully, soon)
    todotxt-cli. Unfortunately, (1) has been invoked here as well - the command sets of the two packages are close, but not identical. Also, I'm on record saying an emacs script could comply if:
    - it properly supports the "--info" argument
    - it supports calling the hooks in the optional todo.txt-base package
    - it provides a means to add/modify/delete/show tasks housed in a todo.txt-format file, noting that the format does not have to be strictly enforced by the package.

    My latest stake in the ground - I claim that the functionality of the
    todo.txt virtual package, from a Policy perspective, is defined, here, and
    that the candidates are compliant.

    I'm trying to do this in good faith.

    Any objections? Actions? Suggestion for the description?



    <div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>I see two complaints about the &quot;todo&quot; virtual package:<br></div><div>  1) it encompasses applications that may not have sufficiently identical interfaces, and/or </div><div>  2) it uses Conflicts as a
    transition mechanism.</div><div><br></div><div>Resolving (2) exceeds my threshold. I&#39;ll drop the todo package.</div><div><br></div><div>That leaves todo.txt, implemented by topydo and (hopefully, soon) todotxt-cli. Unfortunately, (1) has been
    invoked here as well - the command sets of the two packages are close, but not identical. Also, I&#39;m on record saying an emacs script could comply if:</div><div>  - it properly supports the &quot;--info&quot; argument<br></div><div>  - it supports
    calling the hooks in the optional todo.txt-base package</div><div>  - it provides a means to add/modify/delete/show tasks housed in a todo.txt-format file, noting that the format does not have to be strictly enforced by the package.</div><div><br></div><
    My latest stake in the ground - I claim that the functionality of the todo.txt virtual package, from a Policy perspective, is defined, here, and that the candidates are compliant.</div><div><br></div><div>I&#39;m trying to do this in good faith.</div>
    <div><br></div><div>Any objections? Actions? Suggestion for the description?</div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
    </blockquote></div></div>

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