Re: Bug#378314: RFA: doc-linux-nl -- Dutch Linux Documentation (HOWTOs, mini-HOWTOs, FAQs, and manpages)

[Wouter Verhelst <wouter@debian.org>]

On Wed, Jul 19, 2006 at 02:03:33PM +0200, Thijs Kinkhorst wrote:
> retitle 378314 RFA: doc-linux-nl -- Dutch Linux Documentation (HOWTOs, mini-HOWTOs, FAQs, and manpages)

Err, it was already called that -- except that it didn't include tabs
instead of spaces. Oh well :-)

(presumaby you meant "ITA" ?)

> owner 378314 !
> thanks
> 
> On Wed, 2006-07-19 at 12:22 +0200, Luk Claes wrote:
> > > Who's in for that? As the maintainer of 'dutch' I can do it if that's
> > > required.
> > 
> > Thanks for volunteering :-)
> 
> Ok, I'll set something up, I think I'll use the pkg-dutch repository.
> I'll keep the list posted.

Great.

Since I promised I'd explain the thoughts I had about manpages-nl, here
goes:

Maintaining translated manpages is a bitch, especially without the help
of something like a po file format. There is a package in Debian called
'po4a', which can convert a number of file formats (including nroff
sourcees) into .po files.

The upstream CVS repository (which is at nl.linux.org, I don't think
they have anonymous access) contains the original files which the
translations were based on. You'll need those to successfully use po4a;
I can provide you with a checkout, if required.

The previous maintainer of manpages-nl, Joost Van Baal, told me that he
would prefer to see the translated manpages in the original package;
i.e., bash.1 should end up with the bash package, rather than having it
remain in the manpages-nl package. I agree, and think that this should
be done as long as the maintainer of the bash package agrees as well. Of
course, I suspect the manpage would have to be updated before the bash
maintainer will be interested...

-- 
Fun will now commence
  -- Seven Of Nine, "Ashes to Ashes", stardate 53679.4