Re: packaging question
On 03-Apr-2002 David H. Askew wrote:
>
> Ok.. so i'm working on packages for jedit .. and I'm contemplating
> splitting the documentation into its own sepperate package.
>
> so there will be
>
> jedit
> jedit-doc or jedit-doc-html (which is prefered)?
>
generally you specify html if there is another choice.
> background(for non-jedit users) : jedit has a built-in doc-browser which
> loads a startup page.
>
> I was thinking about replacing this page with something that says ...
> hey .. you need to install the jedit-doc package or something similar..
>
> is this a reasonable solution?
>
sounds sane.
> ..the documentation isn't that heavy .. but I'm of the opinion that it
> should be a seperate package... if for no other reason than I don't like
> to have unneaded docs installed on my system.. if I don't want them...
>
Sure you may not need them. But how many users would? The main reason to
split off doc packages is if they are really large or can be output in many
formats and the user only really needs one of them.
> The docs are distributed in the same src package as the program, so if I
> make two packages, one for the docs and one for the binary.. won't the
> debian archive contain two identical versions of the source code when it
> is uploaded? .. this seams kinda bloated ... so I'm sure there is something I
> don't understand ... is this what multiple-binary packages are for?
>
yes you want one upstream tarball -> multiple (2) debian packages. You
definately should NOT split the upstream source if you can avoid it.
Remember, splitting the package means the user has to install the docs by hand.
If they happen to need them when they do not have access to the deb (ISP
outage, kid sister on the phone and can't use the modem, phone bill too high
already this month, on a laptop in a cafe somewhere etc) they just have to make
do.
Who benefits from splitting the package? You? Extra work, one more package in
the source. 20k less on your hard drive. The user?
As hackers, we sometimes have to step back and analyse our desires for
engineering beauty.
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