Re: PLEASE: standard package README file/orientation
On Wed, Aug 23, 2000 at 07:17:32PM -0400, Daniel Barclay wrote:
> > From: Steve Greenland <stevegr@debian.org>
> > ... Current policy
> > requires that /usr/doc/<package> exist (possibly as a symlink to
> > /usr/share/doc/<package>).
> Then why don't more package implement that policy?
If the package doesn't do that, it's a bug in the package.
> I just argued that in doc directory, which typically contains
> a mess of upstream files, there should be a file that is
> easily recognizable (having a standard name) as the Debian
> README file.
If there is such a file, the standard name is README.[Dd]ebian. If the
maintainer didn't think of anything to say, there won't be such a file.
> > works for *every* package. (Yes, I know it would be more efficient
> > to combine into one dpkg -L command, I left it as an exercise for the
> > reader.)
> If Debian really thinks that is sufficient, then this is hopeless.
For a lot of packages there isn't anything worthwhile to add to the
upstream documentation. Forcing every package to have a README.Debian
saying "Documentation for foo can be found by saying 'man foo'." or
whatever isn't particularly constructive: it creates a whole bunch of
files with trivial content that just end up being noise.
What exactly are you looking for? More orientation in complex packages?
That's something you should take up with the maintainers. Otherwise, it
seems you want some improved system for browsing documentation. I guess
something like that would need to be implemented before it could become
policy.
--
Mark Brown mailto:broonie@tardis.ed.ac.uk (Trying to avoid grumpiness)
http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~broonie/
EUFS http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/filmsoc/
Reply to: