Re: Terminology changes for update-alternatives
On Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 06:00:51AM +0100, Guillem Jover wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I'd like to move away from the master/slave terminology used in
> update-alternatives for both the external interfaces (CLI options,
> output fields) obviously preserving backwards compatibility, docs
> and for all the internal code symbols. For the same reasons as mentioned
> in <https://lists.debian.org/debian-dpkg/2021/03/msg00002.html>. (This
> is bug #884368.)
>
> This has kind of blocked improvements as there was no desire to expand
> their usage in other places, where depending on the context it would
> imply more painful transitions being involved.
>
> For debhelper, Niels decided to use for its declarative support the term
> "Dependents", which while not a wrong term, I've always found it too
> close to dependencies which we use in the packaging relationships context,
> potentially adding to the concept overload/confusion, in addition of
> being long, so I've had my reservations about switching to it.
>
> I've been pondering about other options, and I think the concept that
> seems to describe best the relationship is akin a planet and its moon
> or satellite orbiting around it and being pulled along. But satellite
> seems too long and unrelated as a direct term.
>
> (Primary/secondary do not seem to represent this well, and I have an
> aversion to the leader/follower pair and they don't seem to fit well
> here anyway.)
>
> This is the list of words that I've been playing with:
>
> * dependent links --depend (covered above)
> * affixed links --affix (might not be ideal for translation?)
> * coupled links --couple (seems redundant given the dictionary
> description)
> * attached links --attach (seems confusing? and long)
> * ancillary links (too long)
> * accessory links (idem)
> * subsidiary links (idem)
>
> * annex links --annex (discarded due to git-annex confusion)
> * bound links --bound/--bind
> * laced links --lace (cryptic?)
> * tied links --tie
I want to suggest root and leaf.
--
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