Bug#953827: Migrate classification tags to a new group of value-neutral diagnostics (lab hints)
Package: lintian
Severity: wishlist
Hi,
as alluded to in #935706 [1], I would like to split the diagnostics
performed in Lintian checks into two levels. One level states
value-neutral facts (such as, a field is present with attached
content), while the other generates user alerts (which we call tags).
These two diagnostic layers will operate similar to a doctor and a
lab: One is a scanning layer that issues hints. It is completely
uncontroversial. It works or it does not.
The other layer is the expert knowledge; a notice layer that, similar
to a doctor, issues alerts for some conditions based on results from
the labs. The notices can be customized, but a standard profile,
perhaps consisting of multiple components (one of which would be
'policy'), would impose widely accepted alert levels on many
conditions indicated by the labs.
The key advantages of such a setup are:
1. Detection methods in the lab layer are no longer burdened by
community discussions about severity.
2. The lab hints are available separately for tools such as Debian Janitor.
3. Classification tags will eventually be turned off in favor of lab
hints, which are more plentiful and offer greater detail.
My current branch is based on
https://salsa.debian.org/lintian/lintian/-/merge_requests/297
and will be submitted for community review after the 'certainty'
concept was removed from Lintian.
Please do not confuse this new terminology of 'labs' with the previous
name for unpacked packages.
Kind regards
Felix Lechner
[1] https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=935706#15
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