Bug#65577: PROPOSED] README.Debian should include notice if a package is not a part of Debian distribution

[Brian Mays <brian@debian.org>]

> Thanks to your consideration on this proposal, and sorry to be late in
> answering.

    [ ... ]

> Well, what I wish to target with this proposal, is "let our users know
> more about the packages which they use".

    [ ... ]

Thank you for your explanation.  I have a better understanding now of
what you are proposing.

> The current policy states:
> 
>       6.6. Copyright information
>       --------------------------
> (clip)
>      Do not use the copyright file as a general `README' file.  If your
>      package has such a file it should be installed in
>      `/usr/share/doc/<package>/README' or `README.Debian' or some other
>      appropriate place.
>
> and I intend to say "All packages which is not in main, should explain
> the specific reason why the package is not in main".  This means
> that the reason is not limited to license condition nor dependency,
> because "all package which is not in main" include the packages in
> experimental. (Some of them are allowed to be registered in contrib,
> according to the older version of our policy.)
>
> And, the reason for contrib packages are not related to their license,
> because all packages in contrib should have DFSG-compatible licenses.
>
> So I think to use README.Debian is appropriate.

I disagree.  Often README.Debian is used for more general things, such
as explaining how a package is configured when built (compile-time
options), how the Debian package differs from other versions of the
same software available from other sources, general notes from the
Debian developer about how a package should be used, etc.  Usually,
the information in this file is not directly related to the Debian
project at all.  The copyright file, IMHO, is used for Debian related
information.  Consider what is already contained in this file:

(1) copyright and licensing information for the software (of course);

(2) the full name of the package;

(3) the location on the internet of the upstream sources;

(4) the name of the Debian maintainer, usually accompanied by a
    history of the maintainers who have worked on the package; and

(5) a catalog of the changes made to the upstream sources in converting
    them to a Debian package.

Thus, the copyright file contains much more than just copyright and
licensing information.  Considering this, I think that an explanation of
the choice of section in the Debian archive in which the package appears
is more closely related to the contents of the copyright file than what
is currently being placed by maintainers in the README.Debian file.
Therefore, it is my opinion that this information is more appropriately
placed in /usr/share/doc/<p>/copyright.

- Brian