As I could find no existing thread on this subject, I decided to create one.

Looking at the list of broken packages I think it would be better to discuss issues in a separate thread.

The remarks I have:

Wifi switcher:
The url given on the wiki page does not make the issue clear to me. I am using this app for years now. It basically removes and adds the wl12xx module. Does anyone have a clear user case to prove this should be on the broken packages list?

Fapman:
I think the main reason for using this, is that HAM is so terribly slow. But as HAM is created by Nokia, it may act somewhat better (= as Nokia intended it for the N900), especially in cases of more complex system upgrades.
But Fapman just uses apt like command in the background, so for that matter, all the apt/dpkg packages should be on the broken packages page. I think that is not feasible, simply as the use is too widespread/common on debian like systems. Maybe some warning or blocking of system upgrades in fapman would help. And maybe some misbehaving cases can be described, so developers can keep that in account?

Theme-customizer:
If it replaces hildon-home, this would be a clear one. But here we also have the sources, so why not remove that part and add portrait support as a bonus (I know sixwheeledbeast looked at its source, and wants to improve is Qt skills )?

I agree this is a good idea to discuss this topic.
Thank you for starting this thread.

I would also like to confirm issues with the packages in this list.

Wifi-switcher has been "linked" to the not restarting wlan drivers correctly issue in the same way as autodisconnect. As for more information about this I am not certain.

Theme customizer needs a fair bit of work after being pointed at the sources, hildon-desktop has changed a fair bit since it's creation.

Some of the things it changes have been removed or moved, for example changing icon size no longer works.

There was a thread regarding broken packages where some more links and information was posted, this is how the wiki page got complied.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=88353

I searched for "broken packages", but the thread you mentioned did not show up

If you don't mind, I might do some some classification changes on the broken packages wiki.

fapman was on list of broken packages due to rumours about having problems with some post/pre-install/remove scripts.

As fapman users since... Well, beginnings of times, I've had heated disxcussion about it on IRC with kerio - it resulted in me checking every package, that was rumored to *not* work properly with FAM (during discussion, it was realized that no one ever tried to confirm that rumours, just blindly forwarded them). Every single one of them worked perfectly, including all package's scripts, so I've put FUD stamp on those rumours.

As for other concerns some people have with fapman:

1. It have "autoremove" option checked by default, which is equivalent to doing apt-get autoremove, after every install/deinstall operation. Normally, it ensures, that we're getting rid of unnecessary packages, that were pulled automatically due to dependencies, and are no longer needed (because, for example, we deinstalled main package/metapackage/whatever).

Generally, without this, we would have mess of orphaned dependencies occupying our opt/root, so it's good thing to have this enabled. Still, in cases of system with utterly broken packages (dependencies), it may result in important things getting autoremoved. I've never experiwenced this myself, but I can imagine, that less carefull user with - again - broken system, can get it broken even further.

While it's rather related to USER_ERROR, it wouldn't hurt to have "autoremove" unchecked by default in fapman.

2. fapman use own catalogs - during installation, it imports catalogs from HAM, but later changes to one, doesn't result in syncing with another. It's *not* a bug - it's 100% intended feature, which proves itself useful, in many cases (ability to have different sources for HAM and FAM).

3. Famous "don't use FAM for system updates". Well, it originates in rumour about FAM having problems with some install scripts, which is FUD. Well, I use FAM for every CSSU update, since times, when it was faaar from being official - number of problems is 0. I even compare things with single device, that I always update via HAM - doing rsync comparision of files, configs, etc - delta is ZERO. Only one change is painfully long time of operating HAM.

Still, CSSU team supports only HAM way of updating (oficially), partially due to FUD about install scripts, and partially due to reasons, that I don't want to discuss here (are irrelevant as political, not technical).

I don't think that it require a"y changes in package, though - who wants to use HAM for CSSU does it, who wants to use FAM, acts so.

/Estel

Not a single problem with Fapman from the very beginning, as Estel says. Anyway I use HAM for CSSU upgrades, just to avoid any possible issue.

No problem, go for it.

Interesting, anybody got any comments on the other packages now FAM has been covered.

I've never used the other two packages, but fapman I have used, and never had any issues-maybe I'm not hitting the corner cases where it messes up your system. (I have done a CSSU update with it as well.)

Been doing some digging on the forum and this is an interesting thread.

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=65996

It would appear HAM is very cautious and senses possible conflicts apt-get is unable to spot, before ending up in dependency mayhem.

I suppose as above it's very hard to simulate everybody application list etc..

Theme customizer can break badly your transitions.ini. Happened to me a couple of times before I finally uninstalled this application.

I think that all theme and transitions (advanced) configuration should be maintained as part of CSSU, as it's prone to errors and changes when CSSU introduces any new features.

I had the same and agree completely.