Re: Debconf Templates Style Guide

[Henning Makholm <henning@makholm.net>]

Scripsit Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org>
> On Tue, Oct 28, 2003 at 11:11:13PM +0100, Henning Makholm wrote:

>> especially with regard to telling the user what the conservative
>> default choice is. Many of the kernel option descriptions do indeed
>> say "If unsure, answer No" or the like. Or do I misremember?

> If we used a sentence like this, it would read "If unsure, accept the
> default", which would be redundant.

That would be a horrible sentence to put into a debconf
description.

The *first* time I configure the package, the defaults will be those
specified by the package maintainer. But if it doesn't work and I
decided I have probably botched the configuration and run
dpkg-reconfigure on the package, the defaults are going to be whatever
I answered the first time. Then I won't be helped at all by a sentence
that just reads "use the default if unsure".

> The default choice should always be what the user wants if they are
> unsure.

I'm afraid you need to redesign the entire debconf system then.

-- 
Henning Makholm                          "The spirits will have to knit like
                        banshees, but with enough spirits it *can* be done!"