Source packages appropriate by default?

[Robie Basak]

On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 10:24:31AM +0200, Andreas Moog wrote:
> andreas at j3515:~$ sudo add-apt-repository
> The program 'add-apt-repository' is currently not installed.  You can
> install it by typing:
> sudo apt-get install python-software-properties
> andreas at j3515:~$
> 
> add-apt-repository is not available on all Ubuntu systems by default.

It is provided by software-properties-common in more recent releases,
and is seeded on server now. See bug 439566.

$ seeded-in-ubuntu -b software-properties-common
software-properties-common is seeded in:
  edubuntu: dvd
  kubuntu-active: daily-live
  kubuntu: daily-live
  lubuntu: daily, daily-live, daily-preinstalled
  mythbuntu: daily-live
  ubuntu-gnome: daily-live
  ubuntu-server: daily
  ubuntu-touch: daily-preinstalled
  ubuntu: daily-live
  ubuntukylin: daily-live
  ubuntustudio: dvd
  xubuntu: daily-live

Where, specifically, is it missing?

> The current solution is easy and is available on virtually all
> installations, without the need to manually install anything. Providing
> easy access to the source is essential for a open source distribution.

All this is true, but you haven't said specifically why this proposal is
a problem, or why. This proposal *will* make source available without
having to manually install anything. And providing easy access to the
source *is* essential, but this proposal doesn't take easy access away.

Others have said why the current situation is a problem, and
you haven't addressed that here at all, given that add-apt-repository
*is* available by default now.

If add-apt-repository is not available by default, do you object to it
*being* made available by default to resolve this?