Bug#380402: madwifi-source: Unneeded dependancy in generated madwifi-modules-[kernelversion] package

[infernix]

Kel Modderman wrote:
> It breaks the dependency on a locally installed package, that has no 
> dependencies or control data? Please further convince me that this is 
> actually a problem in the packaging of this module, and that you should not 
> use equivs to satisfy these depends when installing local software.
>
> I personally like this dependency on the linux-image. The modules are 
> worthless without the linux-image. It also prevents the modules from sticking 
> around, wasting space, when the linux-image is removed.
>   

My point here is that if modules are built for a custom installed kernel 
(so no make-kpkg one), it should either be general for all module source 
packages to depend on [linux|kernel]-image-[kernelversion] or recommend 
it. What I'm seeing here is that for fgrlrx it's recommended, and for 
madwifi it's dependant on it.

I briefly discussed this in #debian-kernel:

<infernix> is a module-assistant compiled package supposed to assume 
that the current kernel is a make-kpkg generated one and depend on it?
<Manoj> no
<Manoj> users are not required to install image .debs
<Manoj> I mean, the package works just fine without the dependency for 
you, so the dependency is spurious

As a consequence, I filed this as a bug for madwifi-source, because I 
couldnt find any policies or guidelines. If you are positive that any 
module built with module-assistant is supposed to depend on 
[linux|kernel]-image-[kernelversion], I will file a bug with fglrx. 
However, I have checked out ipw2100 and ndiswrapper and they did not 
depended on [linux|kernel]-image-[kernelversion] either. Haven't tried 
more but it might be worthwhile to check them all out.

In either case, if there's no current stance on this, I think one should 
be made and it should be defined in modules-assistant's HOWTO-DEVEL so 
that all module source packages are doing the right thing.

Regards,

infernix