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Re: On packages



  Bruce Perens writes:
  Bruce> THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR US TO KEEP THE DISTRIBUTION SMALL
  Bruce> BY HOLDING BACK PACKAGES. We can keep the number of _required_

No reason to shout here. We started the discussion in private.

  Bruce> E. Branderhorst writes:
  >> Dirk Eddelbuettel mailed me that he was in doubt if packages like untex
  >> (one file) and xypic (a bunch of (la)tex files and fonts) should be in
  >> the debian system.

As my name stands here, I'd rather make my point clear. I was discussing
package maintenance with Erick and asked him privately about his views on
those packages. I agreed with those in a mail back to him.

I also agreed with the two fellows that had joined this discussion before:
 - it's great to have a core TeX package, core being very loosely emacs, tex,
   auctex, xfig, ispell, dvips --- but not every possible CTAN file.   
 - some clearcut comments on what is desired and what not wouldn't hurt.
   Difficult to write though, I guess.

  Bruce> Size is not a problem. I would prefer that packages be distributed
  Bruce> in a form close to that distributed by the program developer. In
  Bruce> other words, if untex is distributed as a single program, it should
  Bruce> be packaged that way. The other alternative is a package that is a

Without a manpage? Without doc? Without a copyright note? Nope.

  Bruce>  DO NOT UPLOAD A PACKAGE WITHOUT A COPYRIGHT FILE IN IT.  We'll

See above. Twice.

  Bruce> By the way, if you have to hit return a few dozen times when you
  Bruce> "mget", are you missing the "prompt" command to FTP?

Or use a wu-ftpd and say 'get directory.tar' or use ncftp and say 
'get -R glob*files' 

Cheers,

-- 
Dirk Eddelbuettel		                   
<edd@qed.econ.queensu.ca>


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