Re: Bug#1273: less help file is a configuration file?

[dhs@firefly.com (David H. Silber)]

> From: Ralf Baechle <ralf@waldorf-gmbh.de>
> Subject: Re: Bug#1273: less help file is a configuration file?
> Content-Length: 546
> 
> Hi,
> 
> > > From: mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell)
> > > Subject: Re: Bug#1273: less help file is a configuration file?
> > > 
> > > Is there any strong feeling or group consensus one way or the other
> > > about how this should be handled for programs with help text in separate
> > > files?  Declare those files conffiles, as a general rule, or not?
> > 
> > I don't understand how a help file could be considered to be a configuration
> > file.
> 
> For programs that lack support for foreign languages I consider them to be
> configuration files. 

>    Ralf

Ah, now this makes sense.  Personally, I still think it's a bug (that the
program does not support foreign languages) but this is an imperfect world
that we live in.

However, I think that Debian should pick one method of dealing with this
so that we can be consistant.  I think:
	o)  Programs that support multiple languages should be provided
		in this way.
	o)  Programs that support a single language with compiled-in
		help text cannot be easily corrected.
	o)  Programs which support a single language with external help
		files should be compiled to point to a file in a writable
		filesystem (perhaps in /etc?), which should be a link
		back to one of the distributed help files in /usr/lib or
		a custom help file somewhere under /var.
	o)  In no circumstance is the help text file itself a configuration
		file.  At most, the link file is a configuration file.

Perhaps there is a better way of handling this, but however it is done,
it should be documented somewhere and deviating packages should have bugs
reported on them.

-- 
   David H. Silber     dhs@firefly.com     Project:  Debian GNU/Linux (uucp)
   <http://www.access.digex.net/~dhs/>     Wanted:  Spare time.