Re: Policy on *-dev packages

["Sean 'Shaleh' Perry" <shalehperry@attbi.com>]

On 05-Dec-2001 Phil Blundell wrote:
>>I noticed that what constitutes a "development environment" isn't very clear 
>>in policy section 11.3
> 
> What purpose, specifically, would it serve to clarify this section?  In other
> words, what problems do you think we have now as a result of inadequate
> specification here? 
> 
> Adding stuff to policy just "because we can" is a waste of everyone's time.
> If people are getting along OK with what we already have, let's leave it
> alone.
> 

There is no verbage explaining what a -dev is other than the vague "a
development environment".  Policy does not in one clear place explain that it
must have all needed headers, the .so symlink, the *.{a,la} files, any helper
apps (like gtk-config) and programming manpages.  There is just a blanket
assumption here that a maintainer knows what it means to have a -dev package. 
For new maintainers or for those where English not their first (or second)
language a little extra verbage goes a long way.

I am almost certain this text used to exist in the packaging manual.