Debian Desktop efforts for lenny (Was: Rename desktop-base ? (Re: Debian GNU/Linux (kfreebsd anyone?) Lenny Desktop wishlist thread))

[Loïc Minier <lool+debian@via.ecp.fr>]

        Hi,

On Fri, Apr 13, 2007, Gustavo Franco wrote:
>                                  maybe we should use desktop-base as a
> transitional package moving its actual content to desktop-artwork (or
> debian-desktop-art) and preparing a new desktop-mountscripts (or
> debian-desktop-mount), to make sure we don't break Etch->Lenny
> upgrades

 I think the technical details of the transition packages are
 irrelevant so I wont comment on these, these should be decided last.

 I think there's a lack of consensus in the names and the contents of
 the packages and on the split in general because the "features" /
 functionalities are not clearly described.

 My opinion is that we should focus on the technical features we want to
 implement for lenny and the package split will then be natural.  For
 example, we could decide something like:
 1) The different live CDs must be able to use different artworks
 2) The CDDs must be able to add custom scripts and custom artworks and
    must have the option to not ship the default scripts and artworks
 3) The users must be able to remove the default artworks
 -- these are just examples --
 which would then permit us to say whether we need to split per artwork
 or per desktop environment or per use case etc.


 I don't have a very precise idea of what we should aim at during the
 lenny cycle, and hence I propose we start by listing the major things
 that we need to implement during the cycle.  The three forms I can see to start working on this are:
 - list idea on a wiki page
 - have an IRC meeting
 - write a small "spec" document via SVN
 -- we can do any of the above, not necessarily all


 Would I be questionned on the above today, my opinion would be that we
 lack two things:
 infrastructure and policies

 To be a little more precise, we should have some clear interfaces to
 deal with desktop stuff, such as:
 - how does someone create an artwork for Debian (process,
   format of the artwork, palette, size, desktop environments to
   support, packaging etc.)
 - how does someone propose the *default* artwork for the lenny dist
   (place where this is discussed, particular properties of this
   artwork)
 - how does a CDD hook a script in the login process
 - how does a CDD remove the artwork
 - how should packages register scripts or artwork in the system
 - what virtual provides should scripts or artwork packages provide
 - etc.

 I hope the above list gives clear examples of what I think we should
 design and document, and I wish we will focus on design,
 implementation, and documentation of such stuff during the lenny
 cycle.

   Bye,
-- 
Loïc Minier