Fw: Bug#587620: (wishlist) debian packages: add an optional "Why" field to "suggest" entries (in the dependency field)

[Alexandre Fournier <brutus@free.fr>]

Hello everyone,

Goswin von Brederlow (I think he is an apt maintainer)
suggested to forward this wishlist bug report to debian-devel.

Best regards,

Alexandre Fournier



 ----- Message Transféré -----

Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:44:23 +0200
De: Goswin von Brederlow <goswin-v-b@web.de>
À: Alexandre Fournier <brutus@free.fr>
Cc: 587620@bugs.debian.org
Sujet: Re: Bug#587620: apt: add an optionnal "Why" field to "suggest"
entries (in the dependency field)


Alexandre Fournier <brutus@free.fr> writes:

> Package: apt
> Version: 0.7.25.3
> Severity: wishlist
>
> Hello,
>
> Sometimes, from a user point of view, understanding  why a package A
> recommends or suggests package B1 or B2 is not straightforward.
>
> It would be nice to add  an optionnal  "why" field to explain what
> features are enabled in package A when installing package B1.
>
> Ideally, this could be displayed when the user calls : apt-cache show
> or looks at the package data in another front-end for apt. This way,
> they would know from the start if they want to install package B1 all
> along, when installing A.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Alexandre Fournier

Imho that is not something that affects apt.

First you should make a proposal to introduce the WHY field in packages
and get them to adopt it. Probably best to write to debian-devel and
build a consensus. This can be done first as custom field even
without needing to patch dpkg for a new field. The field would
automatically be shown by apt-cache too. So you are already most of the
way there.

Only once the WHY field is in use in a large number of apckages
front-ends could be changed to support it. But that would be a bug for
aptitude, adept, cupts, ... rather than apt itself.

MfG
        Goswin


-- 
Alexandre Fournier