[php-maint] Bug#458436: Bug#458436: php-pear doesn't warn when modules are upgradeable

[Josip Rodin]

severity 458436 normal
thanks

Hi,

> severity 458436 wishlist
> thanks
> 
> Since the PEAR packages provided by de Debian package are
> updated/upgraded this is not a bug but a feature request.
> Your suggestion on using debconf shouldn't be followed because debconf
> shouldn't be used for those kind of things, NEWS.Debian should be used
> instead.

First off, please use the right address when you wish to talk to submitters,
your message never reached me because it was sent to the bug address only.

I disagree on the wish part - the whole purpose of the pear package is to
get those external PEAR packages. If pear is used to put those files on
users' systems, it also has the responsibility to take care of them once
they're there. The tool itself does do that, but the package doesn't
properly integrate with it. If we lower the bar for package quality to
the level where one only has to ship the binaries and be done with it,
then integration of software features with package features is a "wish",
but it's 2008...

I also don't agree with using NEWS.Debian, for two reasons - firstly,
php-pear would have to depend on apt-listchanges (which shows the file),
and secondly it doesn't make sense to couple this with news items, because
each item has to be written, only to be shown once, which means that
users who skip it in the first run are never again alerted to the likely
problems. That's why a generic check and a prompt would make more sense
than a news item.

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.