[pkg-wpa-devel] Bug#360387: Lowering severity

[Felix Homann]

On Thursday 13 April 2006 14:26, you wrote:
> And the old system is not capable of doing what the new system is.

That's absolutely right. I don't regard one as better than the other. Leave it 
up to the user in which way he wants to use wpa_supplicant.

> Where was all this documentation to do with wpa_sup, unplugged and
> guessnet/zeroconf when I first installed this package? 

It's been all on the net even before wpasupplicant (the package) was created. 
I've been using wpa_supplicant (upstream) with an init script and ifplugd 
before then. 

Maybe you should have asked people how they used the package before making 
such a drastic decision. Asking for comments on DWN would have helped, and 
maybe that should still be done before the package hits testing.

> Maybe then I 
> would not have written a replacement framework for wpasupplicant.

I don't think one can regard it as a replacement framework. It's just another 
way to use wpa_supplicant. It has very good points but also shortcomings.
 
> By all means, criticise the removal of the init script as much as you
> want, but please do not start bagging the ifupdown mechanism without
> factual evidence of brokenness/shortcomings.

For shortcomings:

1. The main shortcoming is that upgrades are breaking working setups unless
	
	a. the old setup did not involve the init script and
	b. the old setup did not involve /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

The only reason I've heard so far for doing so is "not to confuse new users".

1. Do you have a solution for my challenge?

	http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-wpa-devel/2006-April/000195.html

2. Reinhard Tartler had to admit that other setups can't be reproduced with 
the new scheme:
	
	http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-wpa-devel/2006-April/000210.html

I don't stick to the old setup, really. (That's why I tried hard to rework my 
setup within the new scheme.) I actually like the new possibilities you've 
introduced with the new scheme. It's great!  But does it justify dropping the 
old approach? No, not at all!

When will the changes actually go into testing? Do you really think it will 
make most people happy?

Finally let me point you to the Debian Social Contract: 

"4. Our priorities are our users and free software 
We will be guided by the needs of our users and the free software community. 
We will place their interests first in our priorities."

http://www.debian.org/social_contract

Kind regards,

Felix