Re: Do users know about README.Debian and /usr/share/doc/packagename (Was: libcifpp)

[Pierre Gruet <pgt@debian.org>]

Hi Andreas,

Thanks for forking the thread and launching this conversation.

Le 01/10/2021 à 08:48, Andreas Tille a écrit :
> Hi,
>
> Am Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 02:10:50PM +0200 schrieb Pierre Gruet:
> > My concern with this is the average user might not even know about the
> > README.Debian file and could forget to check in the manpage.
>
> My gut feeling is that the average Debian Med user does not know about
> the docs we are providing.  At least all those users I had the chance to
> ask have never read any README.Debian neither did they confirmed they
> know about /usr/share/doc/packagename.

This is interesting, thanks for sharing this information. Actually I 
cannot say I am surprised.

Do you know if users read our manpages? I feel we can expect /some/ 
users will type

    man command

if something is not working as expected, but for sure not all of them will.

> > But I am unsure
> > there is a better way, as a debconf information, for instance, would be
> > shown only once and only to the system administrator...
>
> I agree that debconf information (or debian/NEWS) will be seen only once
> by some admin and it is not sure whether the admin is a user at the same
> time and will pass the information.
>
> While I'm aware that this is not a good situation I do not have any idea
> how to enhance it.

Have you sometimes used debconf to spread information? This (or 
debian/NEWS) gives a chance to reach some end users at the cost of 
implementing the debconf mechanism / writing a NEWS text. But if they 
skip the information and do not know about the 
/usr/share/doc/packagename directory...

> Kind regards
>
>       Andreas.

I am interested in ideas or comments on this issue!

Best regards,

--
Pierre