ubuntu-desktop: remove python-gdchart dep

[John Richard Moser]

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Daniel Robitaille wrote:
>>"Apparently ubuntu-desktop 0.91 depends on an arbitrary library and/or
>>python extension; removing these only removes ubuntu-desktop.  Is there
>>any particular reason for this dependency, or is it legacy and removable?"
>>
>>Let's try this again:  *NO* *APPLICATIONS* *APPEAR* *TO* *DEPEND* *ON*
>>*python-gdchart* *ACCORDING* *TO* *APT*.  Is there something I'm missing
>>here, or does your response:
>>
>>"python-gdchart needs to be updated for libgd2.  Unfortunately, this
>>will require some code changes and is not simply a matter of rebuilding,
>>so it make take some time before it catches up."
>>
>>indicate that some frivilous developer also happens to be a python fan
>>and is installing arbitrary packages he likes to use that the rest of us
>>*DON'T* *CARE* *ABOUT*?
> 
> 
> The identity of that frivilous developer will become clear if you read
> the comment in this old bug report:
> 
> Bug #12395: "ubuntu-desktop depends on too much and useless packages
> for a desktop"
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-meta/+bug/12395
> 

So the idea is 90% of your users won't use it, but you have it there so
that if they say, "I wanna learn to code," they'll be greeted with,
"Well you could fish around for -dev packages and add in gcc; but
there's python stuff there already.  We really like python.  You should
use it.  Besides it's wasting space on your drive already."

The idea here seems to be that rather than put them in main, you put
them on everybody's system just because.  Let's review.

 - Adding them to the desktop doesn't magically make people developers;
and experienced or learning developers will install these anyway as a
natural course
 - As they're not used by most people (due to them being frivilous and
not depended on by anything, hence not used by anything), this doesn't
increase their test base; it only says, "Yes they install."
 - Existing C, Ruby, Java, or Ada developers will continue using C,
Ruby, Java, or Ada; they probably don't even realize these packages are
there, unless someone brought to their attention that they have python
in their system.  Most probably won't care.

This is as much "pushing python" as keeping copies of Windows 98 under
the counter is "pushing Windows"; nobody is looking under the counter,
and nobody will know unless they ask or see you cleaning house with 5000
CDs of 98 on the counter.


I could go on about the technical merit of pushing a script language,
but I'll refrain; you could not possibly understand.  Although I will
say this much:

"Whether you are doing desktop app RAD, or extending your web or mail
server, we'll provide the hooks to do so on Ubuntu."

There's a Python app that acts like Visual Basic or Borland C++ Builder?
 i.e. draw windows, link things together in an abstract manner, insert
pieces of code?  Something like Glade, but possibly more integrated?

> 
> 
> --
> Daniel Robitaille
> 

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