Package: tech-ctte
Severity: normal
Dear Technical Committee,
the program rename.ul is a bulk file renaming program with a versatile
and simple syntax. It is part of the public software util-linux on
kernel.org https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/ and is
probably present in every Linux distribution including Debian for at
least 14 years up to "Buster".
A user requested in Debian bug report #926637
(https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=926637) to include
rename.ul in Debian's alternatives system. The package maintainer replied:
"The util-linux rename command does not implement the same (command line)
interface as the alternative(s) does, so it is not policy compliant to
add it as an alternative."
As a result, the maintainer completely removed rename.ul from the
package util-linux without providing any further reference to this
Debian policy.
Another Debian bug report #966468
(https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=966468) to provide
rename.ul in util-linux again was set to "WONTFIX" without giving any
further reason.
In Debian bug report #982944
(https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=982944 users
complained about the arbitrary removal of rename.ul from util-linux and
argued:
- no Debian policy could be found for the removal of rename.ul from
util-linux based on interface differences in the alternatives system
- interface differences are part of the alternatives system, and program
examples were given
- removal of rename.ul broke workflows existing for decades, including a
scientific workflow at a university
To summarize: the program rename.ul of the util-linux package has been
around for decades in Debian and probably every other Linux
distribution. The maintainer removed this program referring to a Debian
policy which seems not to exist. Furthermore, differences in program
interfaces in Debian's alternative system can be found in other program
examples and are no reason to remove such a well-established program.
Thus, the removal of rename.ul from the util-linux package appears to be
both unnecessary and arbitrary.
Since the maintainer did not respond to any of the user arguments in the
above bug reports, I kindly request the technical committee to revise
the removal of rename.ul from the package util-linux, hoping that this
removal will be reversed.
Kind regards,
Dirk Kostrewa.