Type tags for Debian packages.
Hi!
I have the following idea:
As more and more packages are added to Debian, I find it more and more
difficult for ordinary users to navigate through the list of packages they
would like to install.
It was easy when there was one program for some kind of action you would
like to perform (like setting soundcard volume or playing mp3 files). But
as now there are two or three almost similar packages which do the same
thing, one usually has to browse the whole section, remembering these
packages and making his choice.
Therefore I propose that program categories of finer granularity than the
one provided by current sections are chosen, and every package is assigned
any number of such category tags (like sound/mixer or sound/mp3player to
extend previous example) in its package control file.
This has various advantages:
1) It does not change how packages are stored in debian tree. Similar
(though less flexible) thing could be implemented by adding more subdirs,
but I am against it for obvious reasons...
This feature is even more important when one realizes that more category
tags can appear during time or some categories can be split to several,
more specialized ones (like sound/mixer/x11 and sound/mixer/text).
2) Category tags can be added as time goes on, not all at once. Every
package which is not tagged can simply get an implicit <section>/other
(or similar) tag.
3) Every package can have more tags, so it can be easier for users to find
it (e.g., one would look for lambdamoo server in some network service
category, other one in MUD games category).
4) Tags in control file can (and should) be in computer-friendly form
(like the one sound/mixer above) which are easy to process. My intention
is that there will be some other file, which will provide more user
friendly descriptions (short and more detailed ones) for all category tags
defined.
5) It would be easy to generate HTMLs from the package control files and
the above mentioned file, which would serve as very user friendly list of
debian packages to choose from when you need something done...
6) And so on...
So, that's it. I would like to know what you think about this idea and if
it could be part of debian some day... IMHO it is not too much work to add
one line to package description and it is very cheap price for making life
of debian users' easier... Remember, that any thing is of any use only and
only if you are aware of the fact that it exists, and debian packages are
no exception...
Patrik
P.S. Please keep me in the CC:, I am not subscribed to this list.
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