reassign 614907 tech-ctte
quit
Dear Technical Committee,
The "node" and "nodejs" packages both provide a command named "node".
The command in the node package is in /usr/sbin; the command in nodejs
is in /usr/bin. Both are very important commands that are widely used
in their respective communities. Both have, in my humble opinion, too
generic of a name. When I heard there was a command named "node", I
thought it was going to be a tool for making posts to everything2.com!
In the long term, I would be happiest if both were renamed.
Unfortunately, both have wide current usage.
1. /usr/sbin/node from the node package is a server used in inetd and
ax25d configuration files to support packet radio networks somehow.
I am not a subject matter expert, so I cannot say much more.
2. /usr/bin/node is a Javascript interpreter widely used in shebang
lines like this:
#!/usr/bin/env node
and in scripts like this:
node /path/to/script.js
In cases like this, Debian policy says that the question should be
taken up on debian-devel and a consensus should determine which
package gets to keep the name. I believe a consensus really is
forming, but it is hard to respect that given that I don't understand
Pat Ouellette's objections very well. You can find snippets of the
(long running) conversation in various places:
http://bugs.debian.org/597571
http://bugs.debian.org/611698
http://bugs.debian.org/614907
https://lists.debian.org/debian-hams/2010/08/msg00031.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2010/08/msg00568.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2010/09/msg00460.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2011/02/msg00133.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2012/04/msg00693.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2012/05/msg00012.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2012/05/msg00033.html
My personal bias is that I would prefer if the technical committee
does *not* have to decide which package gets the command. I think
that once the stonewalling is over and people start actually trying to
work on a fix, we might run into technical complications and it would
be useful if the maintainers involved feel free to adapt and discuss
with one another appropriate fixes.
Unfortunately, I think [1] illustrates that the participants are not
willing to discuss reasonably any more.
I'd be happy to talk about work so far, transition plans,
complications and possible ways forward in a separate message.
Thanks,
Jonathan
[1] https://lists.debian.org/debian-hams/2012/05/msg00017.html
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