Debian Bug report logs - #968584
vim-nox requires sound libraries and freedesktop stuff that doesn't belong in -nox

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Scott Mcdermott <scott@smemsh.net>

To: submit@bugs.debian.org

Subject: vim-nox requires sound libraries and freedesktop stuff that doesn't belong in -nox

Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:23:02 -0700

Package: vim-nox
Version: 2:8.2.0716-3

The package named "vim-nox" now requires an abstract sound library
that uses XDG specification for sound, is packaged by GNOME
maintainers, and pulls in audio libraries and freedesktop sound theme?
What does this have to do with editing files, and how is that "nox"?
The reason we use vim-nox is so all the desktop/gui/X nonsense isn't
needed or installed on our systems. We don't want a stripped vim-tiny
that's barely functional, no syntax highlighting, etc.

Many people install vim-nox on headless systems and it makes no sense
to pull all this stuff in, it appears to be from 0aaaf024.
sound-theme-freedesktop? libasound2? libvorbisfile3? How is that "nox"
? Just because it's not "graphics" doesn't mean it should be included.
Nobody running servers (or even minimal systems like my laptop that's
not running a desktop environment) wants to install sound libraries
and freedesktop themes.

Please revert this dependency and put it in the vim gui package where
it belongs.  Thanks.

Message #10 received at 968584-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: James McCoy <jamessan@debian.org>

To: Scott Mcdermott <scott@smemsh.net>, 968584-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#968584: vim-nox requires sound libraries and freedesktop stuff that doesn't belong in -nox

Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2020 22:00:43 -0400

On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 07:23:02PM -0700, Scott Mcdermott wrote:
> The package named "vim-nox" now requires an abstract sound library
> that uses XDG specification for sound, is packaged by GNOME
> maintainers, and pulls in audio libraries and freedesktop sound theme?
> What does this have to do with editing files,

I'm not sure, but upstream added functions for playing sounds, so that's
where this comes from.

> and how is that "nox"?

It doesn't pull in X libraries.

> The reason we use vim-nox is so all the desktop/gui/X nonsense isn't
> needed or installed on our systems. We don't want a stripped vim-tiny
> that's barely functional, no syntax highlighting, etc.

It's a pretty minimal extra dependency.  The packaging isn't going to
change.

Cheers,
-- 
James
GPG Key: 4096R/91BF BF4D 6956 BD5D F7B7  2D23 DFE6 91AE 331B A3DB

Message #11 received at 968584-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Scott Mcdermott <scott@smemsh.net>

To: James McCoy <jamessan@debian.org>

Cc: 968584-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#968584: vim-nox requires sound libraries and freedesktop stuff that doesn't belong in -nox

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2020 07:43:19 -0700

On Fri, Aug 21, 2020 jamessan@debian.org wrote:
> > and how is that "nox"?
>
> It doesn't pull in X libraries.

It pulls in sound libraries and sound files.  Those are only
useful on desktop systems (those running X).  Maybe the
name should change to "vim-headless" or "vim-nodesktop."

> It's a pretty minimal extra dependency.  The packaging isn't
> going to change.

So now we have to install sound libraries and 46 ogg vorbis files
on all our servers, seriously? Could you at least make a separate
"vim-headless" package that targets headless installations? vim
is a pretty fundamental package used on servers to suddenly
start requiring desktop kruft.  These are totally irrelevant
packages in headless scenarios.  Now we will all have to
maintain site-local builds of vim :-(

Message #16 received at 968584@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: James McCoy <jamessan@debian.org>

To: Scott Mcdermott <scott@smemsh.net>

Cc: 968584@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#968584: vim-nox requires sound libraries and freedesktop stuff that doesn't belong in -nox

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2020 17:31:43 -0400

On Sat, Aug 22, 2020 at 07:43:19AM -0700, Scott Mcdermott wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 21, 2020 jamessan@debian.org wrote:
> > > and how is that "nox"?
> >
> > It doesn't pull in X libraries.
> 
> It pulls in sound libraries and sound files.  Those are only
> useful on desktop systems (those running X).

Desktop systems aren't necessarily running X.

> > It's a pretty minimal extra dependency.  The packaging isn't
> > going to change.
> 
> So now we have to install sound libraries and 46 ogg vorbis files
> on all our servers, seriously? Could you at least make a separate
> "vim-headless" package that targets headless installations? vim
> is a pretty fundamental package used on servers to suddenly
> start requiring desktop kruft.

You're complaining about 3.5M of installed packages, 1.4M if you don't
install Recommends.

How many of the language bindings do you use?  Those pull in tens of
megabytes of extra packages per-language.  Heck, vim is the only reason
I have tcl installed and that's about the same amount of disk space as
the sound support.

> Now we will all have to
> maintain site-local builds of vim :-(

If you want complete control over how a package is built, yes.  So far
this is the only complaint I've received about the sound support, and I
know that people are more than willing to be vocal when they don't like
something.

I hear that you dislike having those packages installed, however it's
not worth the extra packaging complexity, mirror space, and additional
packages to choose among just to create yet another Vim package variant
that doesn't include the sound support.

-- 
James
GPG Key: 4096R/91BF BF4D 6956 BD5D F7B7  2D23 DFE6 91AE 331B A3DB

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