Bug#41352: compressed HTML/dhelp
> > Show me where the bug is;
>
> Without any problems: install a non unix/linux operating
> system and use netscape or another browser. How can you
> read these documents? -> This is a bug.
FWIW, I agree with Joel - IMHO one of the best things about Debian's
documentation is that it doesn't waste (often precious) disk space with
uncompressed plaintext.
The *only* valid justification I have seen so far for storing html
uncompressed on a Debian system is in the case where a document
consists of several files which link to each other using the
uncompressed filenames. Even in this case I would prefer to see a
script run over them to tack .gz onto the relevant links and then
have them packaged compressed too.
If you really need to browse these docs on a legacy system that does
not support automatically uncompressing them then it is a relatively
simple matter to configure a httpd to uncompress them on the fly for
you. (If you don't know how see my 'global' package for tips to
configure apache to do it itself, or a cgi which will do it for you.)
If dhelp & friends do not support compressed docs then the correct
thing to do would be fix dhelp.
> And it_s one tiny little configuration file for dhelp or
> doc-base or dwww. Where_s the problem to add such a small file?
<rant>
*Please* people, remember one of the beautiful things about Linux
is its efficiency. Read: its ability to let you take that old
machine that would be strangled to a standstill by certain other
OS's and turn it into a powerful workhorse on your local network
instead of adding to the mountain of landfill that is last year's
computers. (among other things)
I for one am a little concerned at the recent attitude of some
developers toward allowing system bloat simply because it won't be
a problem on *their* latest tax write off. (this isn't aimed at
you Marco) but always the argument is, "its only a small increase"
or, "but most people have that installed anyway". When the latter
argument is applied to something like mtools depending on X, then
I beg to differ.
*Every* time we increase the required space of some existing package
or function, someone somewhere has a machine on which they must start
deleting things just to maintain the functions they most need. Yes, to
some extent this inevitable, but when the increase is gratuitous rather
than functional, the quality of Debian as a whole for that person is
likewise reduced.
Creeping bloat is like cancer. It can be damn hard to get rid of once
it sets in.
</rant>
best,
Ron
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