Re: Reasons for recommends and suggests
On Fri, 18 May 2007, Brian May wrote:
> >>>>> "Neil" == Neil Williams <linux@codehelp.co.uk> writes:
>
> Neil> The only bug suitable for this scenario is a wishlist bug
> Neil> for a more verbose manpage.
>
> I want to know if I should install the package recommendations or not
> when I install the package.
The recommends should be a set such that you'd want to install them,
unless you know specifically why you don't. [In the majority of cases
that I've personally run into, this means "unusual" setups like a
separate database server, stripped installs, etc.]
Moreover, the information necessary to explain what packages that are
Recommends: or Suggests: actually do and the additional features they
require is not something that can be easily jammed into the
Description without making the description uselessly long. The
Description should give you enough information to figure out whether
or not you want to install a package, not telling you how to use the
package or the descriptions of other packages that the package
Recommends: or Suggests:. That kind of documentation really belongs in
README.Debian or other documentation included with the package.
Don Armstrong
--
All bad precedents began as justifiable measures.
-- Gaius Julius Caesar in "The Conspiracy of Catiline" by Sallust
http://www.donarmstrong.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu
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