Re: Re: Debian packages and freedesktop.org (Gnome, KDE, etc) menu entries

[Moritz Moeller-Herrmann <mmh@gmx.net>]

Andrew Suffield wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 09, 2003 at 02:51:53AM +0100, Moritz Moeller-Herrmann wrote:

>> You do realize that the desktop standard has more features than the
>> debian menu system? Like i18n, icon theming, dynamic construction of a
>> menu hierarchy based on user /Desktop system preferences and so on? And
>> that this information would be lost? Why not run it the other way around,
>> convert the existing debian menu entries to .desktop files and work from
>> there? I think that this way would help debian on the desktops.
> 
> Because you gain *nothing* and introduce a pointless transition.

The question to solve is: In which format shall application packages store
their menu information. Users and developers propose following the
freedesktop standard and using this. Freedesktop standard supporting
systems are probably used by 90% of all Debian desktop users.

Now you say: "No let's use the debian menu system, which only we use and
which is not the default of any major WM". This means losing i18n, dynamic
construction of menus and icon theming in 90 % of the desktop, because
Debian menu items do not support these features.

How is this logical? How does the freedesktop standard not "gain" us
features?

> None of which is the problem of the menu package. It just has to read
> the fields and pass them to the methods, which then write out suitable
> data files for the frontend. In the case of kde/gnome, that would be a
> .desktop file; for everything else, yes, the data is thrown
> away. Nothing else supports those features, and this is again not our
> problem.

freedesktop entry features > debian menu file features

Therefore you can do a lossless transition from .desktop to menu, but not
the other  way around. It makes sense to use the .desktop standard.

Then those desktops who support it (KDE+Gnome+??) can use the desktop files
directly. For other (older or simpler) desktops the debian menu system has
to be adapted to use the .desktop files (addditionaly or instead of the
menu files).

I don't understand how anyone can not support this change.

-- 
Moritz Moeller-Herrmann mmh@gmx.net wiss. Mitarbeiter, IMGB
        La loi, dans un grand souci d'égalité, interdit aux riches comme aux
        pauvres de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler
        du pain. 
        (ANATOLE FRANCE)