Bug#142164: Packages files should be in UTF-8

[Kurt Roeckx <kurt@roeckx.be>]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2005 at 11:32:13PM -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> reassign 142164 general
> thanks
> 
> Hi,
> 
>         Just because a topic has been discussed on the policy
>  discussion list is not reason enough to assign the bug to
>  policy. 

Note that bug has been reassigned to the policy in 2003.  Spam
closed it, and it was just reopened.

>  This has nothing to do with creating a package, and certainly
>  not the place of policy  to lead out by mandating stuff. Again, this
>  problem needs to be worked out abd put into effect by the bits that
>  put the Package ile together, and once we have a working solution, we
>  can start examing the bits of policy that may need to be changed for
>  the solution.

I agree that the policy shouldn't mandate that the Packages
file should be encoded in UTF-8.  But I think it should say
the the control and changelog files are, and I believe that is in
the scope of the policy.  This would of course have as side
effect that the Packages file ends up as UTF-8 too.

Note it says that is is "recommended" to encode the changelog in
UTF-8 (C.2.2), it does not say any such thing about the control
file.  I think we should say that both should be encoded in
UTF-8, or maybe a must.  But we can change that to a must at a
later date.


Kurt