Re: debconf template translation
On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 11:40:29 +0100
Michael Banck <mbanck@gmx.net> wrote:
> I think *technically*, the translated template belong into the
> package. Any objections?
No.
> I agree that *socially*, this might be a problem.
>
> So, what to do?
>
> How about you continue filing bugs with translated templates for the
> time being? The release is not anywhere on the horizon.
You understand that's almost an infinite amount of work? (Although it
can be automated.)
> If by the time sarge seems to shape up a lot of debian packages lack
> translated templates, I guess every maintainer should expect NMUs of
> their packages in order to get them in (not right now, but before or
> at the beginning of the freeze)
This means that we'll have to do that before every freeze, and it will
need some (extra) human intervention on every case. If we are serious
about internationalization we _need_ a system that circumvents the
package maintainers. They shouldn't need (and want) to have anything to
do with translations to languages they not even vaguely understand. In
the future we will have (want) to translate not only debconf templates,
but also manpages, README's, etc. These are almost never supplied by
upstream for all languages. If I counted correctly there are now 15
languages using the ddts system, which of course are not ready at the
same time. This would mean that package maintainers are overly bothered
by new versions of translations all the time. Of course one could wait
until everything is translated, but that would be a shame for the users
(of the testing or sid) that want to use languages that are translated
already.
The only solution, IMHO, to this problem is a system that cuts out the
maintainer from the translation process (Of course they can take
responsibility of one or more languages) and adds translations to
packages automagically. I'm not saying that I have the answer here and
now, but I do think we should think hard about it and support what Grisu
is doing.
Grts Tim
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