Bug#741573: Proposed draft of ballot to resolve menu/desktop question
>>>>> "Keith" == Keith Packard <keithp@keithp.com> writes:
Keith> Thinking about this tonight, I've rewritten option D as AB +
Keith> patch.
Keith> As you can see, this makes packages shipping menu and
Keith> .desktop files for the same application buggy, makes all
Keith> packages using the Debian Menu System buggy, and advises that
Keith> the Debian Menu System be changed to read both menu and
Keith> .desktop files.
Keith> I think the following version is functionally equivalent to
Keith> the existing option D, and makes it clear that we're trying
Keith> to take your suggestion and push further in the same
Keith> direction.
Keith> OPTION D':
I ask you to retain the following two paragraphs that explain why we
prefer option D should we adopt this:
The Technical Committee has reviewed the underlying technical
issues around this question and has resolved that Debian will be
best served by migrating away from our own Debian Menu System and
towards the common Freedesktop Desktop Entry Specification, and
that menu information for applications should not be duplicated in
two different formats.
To encourage this change, we make menu files optional, ask that
packages include .desktop files as appropriate and prohibit
packages from providing both menu and .desktop files for the same
application.
(I've corrected the spelling of encourage)
Keith> Using its power under §6.1.1 to decide on any matter of
Keith> technical policy, and its power under §6.1.5 to offer advice:
Keith> 1. The Technical Committee adopts the changes proposed by
Keith> Charles Plessy in ba679bff[1].
Keith> 2. In addition to those changes, the Technical Committee
Keith> resolves that packages providing a .desktop file shall not
Keith> also provide a menu file for the same application.
Keith> 3. We further resolve that "menu programs" should not
Keith> depend on the Debian Menu System and should instead rely on
Keith> .desktop file contents for constructing a list of
Keith> applications to present to the user.
Keith> 4. We advise the maintainers of the 'menu' package to
Keith> update that package to reflect this increased focus on
Keith> .desktop files by modifying the 'menu' package to use
Keith> .desktop files for the source of menu information in addition
Keith> to menu files.
Keith> 5. Discussion of the precise relationship between menu
Keith> file section/hints values and .desktop file Categories values
Keith> may be defined within the Debian Menu sub-policy and Debian
Keith> Menu System.
Keith> 6. Further modifications to the menu policy are allowed
Keith> using the normal policy modification process.
Keith> [1]:
Keith> http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/dbnpolicy/policy.git/commit/?id=ba679bff76f5b9152f43d5bc901b9b3aad257479
With those two rationalle paragraphs restored I support the reworded
option D and would rank it in the same place as the existing option D.
With them removed, I would rank D below FD.
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