The bureaucracy is unfortunate.

I reported this a year and a half ago.  I'd like to think that we in
Free Software are capable of making swift decisions when the situation
warrants it.  While we wait, how many systems are running daemons that a
typical user is unaware of?  Consider the following negatives:

1) As note above, a game server can pose a potential serious security hole.
2) As noted above, some game servers report to master servers clogging up the 
network.
3) As noted above, the server will use up vital system resources.

While I largely agree with Jonathan Marsden (
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tremulous/+bug/109434/comments/16
), I'd also point out that even _typical_ servers would be illogical to
immediately run as there is generally no infrastructure in place to make
the running of the server _immediately_ useful.  Apache might be a good
example here as you are presented with an immediately running daemon
despite likely having zero content established.  Alas, that is
potentially another subject.

I find _any_ server that is run by default as soon as a package is
installed extraordinarily foolish.  OpenBSD has an absolutely
astonishing security track record in this regard, and as such, perhaps
we should examine Debian's policy on this matter.  Let us not forget
that it wasn't that long ago nasty worms such as Blaster and its ilk
made their way into systems with default open ports.

I would hazard a guess that a typical audience member expects
applications to be installed in a usable state when using their package
managers.  I sincerely doubt that the same audience member expects the
application to be immediately run as with the case of a server.  Do we
expect application xxx to immediately run after selecting the checkmark
in Synaptic and pressing "Apply"?

By stalling and endlessly discussing this matter, we are opening up yet
one more hole for security blunders as Free Software becomes a larger
player, and as a result, a larger target for malicious attacks.  _IF_
Ubuntu seeks to bring Linux and Free Software to a more typically
mainstream audience, it should consider the implications thereof.
Considering the historical (Windows Blaster and like exploits) and
similar contextual (OpenBSD's default policy for packages) data, I would
hope that the most rational choice is clear.

To ignore the historical and contextual information seems not only
foolish but destined to repeat the same mistakes all over again.

-- 
Installing a server for a game automatically auto-inits and runs every boot.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/109434
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