doc-base 0.1 released
Hi folks!
I've just released the first version of the `doc-base' package.
For all that should not know what doc-base is: Some time ago, there was a
big discussion on the Debian mailing lists about the preferred
documentation format in Debian because the current section in the policy
manual about documentation contradicts itself (cf. bug #7890). The
discussion showed clearly that people have very different opinions on that
topic and thus, we'll have to implement a flexible solution so that
everyone is pleased.
The doc-base package tries to implement such a flexible solution: Every
Debian package that provides online documentation (other than manual
pages) will register these documents to doc-base via an `install-docs'
script at installation time and de-register the manuals again once the
package is removed.
With this information about the installed online documents, doc-base can
then register the documents to the online systems dwww and dhelp and also
convert the documents into the user-preferred documentation format(s).
With version 0.1, only the registry to dhelp/dwww is supported.
Of course, since the new `Documentation Policy' has not yet been approved
(actually, it has not even been specified so far :) the use of doc-base is
voluntary. Note, that as the version 0.1 is pre-alpha, the syntax of the
doc-base control file is likely to be changed in the next versions.
However, it'd appreciate if a few maintainers could change their packages
to use doc-base and tell me their experience with it. In addition, it
would be good of a view people would check out the source of doc-base and
tell me their opinion on the design issues of doc-base. (Currently,
doc-base consists of a single Perl script `install-docs', so it shouldn't
be too much work to check this out.)
The doc-base package contains a `Debian doc-base Manual' which explains
how to add doc-base support to packages.
_any_ comments are appreciated!
Thanks,
Chris
PS: I'm still looking for volunteers that help me with the future
development of doc-base. Please drop me a note if you are intrested.
-- Christian Schwarz
schwarz@monet.m.isar.de, schwarz@schwarz-online.com
schwarz@debian.org, schwarz@mathematik.tu-muenchen.de
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