On Wed, Dec 06, 2000 at 09:28:23PM -0800, Joey Hess wrote: > We need to trim this list down, and I propose an objective criteria > that can go into policy, as follows: The singular of "criteria" is "criterion". > %<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%< > > 2.3.1.1 Task packages > --------------------- > > Task packages are packages whose names are prefixed with `task-'. > Typically they are empty metapackages that merely depend on a collection > of other packages. > > These packages are designed to enable users to set up their system to > perform a specific task, with a minimum of work. Task packages are the > embodyment of statements like "I want a ..." or "I want to ...". For > example, "I want a web server" (task-web-server), or "I want to write > programs" (task-programming), and if such a statement cannot be resonably > constructed to explain the purpose of the task, a task package is not > appropriate and should not exist in Debian. > > Task packages must each delinate a specific task, and no two task packages > should offer the same, or effectively the same task. (So there can only > be one task package for a X desktop, a web server, or program development.) > Moreover, task packages should not be present for tasks that the standard > Debian system can perform by default (so task-[emacs-]editor is right out). > > Task packages must not conflict either directly, or indirectly (this means > that the dependancies of any two task packages must not conflict). > > %<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%<%< Sounds good to me except that I think distinct, integrated desktop environments comprising many packages should each be able to have tasks. This means I think there should be a task-gnome equivalent to task-kde. (AFAIK, the XFCE desktop is all in one package. Maybe two.) This is partly for political reasons; the KDE/GNOME war is not going to be over for a long time, and it's just too much of a headache for us to be seen as taking sides in this. I would furthermore suggest that localization tasks have some extra structure placed upon their names: e.g., task-language-zh, task-language-ja, etc. > I'd expect that if this were adopted into policy, it would eliminate a whole > pile of tasks that clearly violate it, although I'm sure many of them would > be fought long and hard; at least once we get a definition in policy, we > will have a standard to aim for (and something to fight over ;-P. > > The resulting list would look something like: > > x [ ] Chinese Chinese environment ax > x [ ] Database Pg PostgreSQL database ax > x [ ] Debian Devel Debian package development ax > x [ ] Dialup Dialup utilities ax > x [ ] Dns Server DNS Server ax > x [ ] Doc General documentation ax > x [ ] Games A selection of games ax > x [ ] German German-speaking environment ax > x [ ] Imap IMAP Server ax > x [ ] Japanese Japanese-speaking environment ax > x [ ] Kde The K Desktop Environment ax > x [ ] Laptop A selection of tools for laptop uax > x [ ] Newbie Help New user documentation ax > x [ ] News Server USENET News Server ax > x [ ] Polish Polish-speaking environment ax > x [ ] Samba Samba SMB server ax > x [ ] Science Basic tools for scientific work ax > x [ ] Sgml SGML and XML authoring and editinax > x [ ] Spanish Spanish environment ax > x [ ] Tex TeX/LaTeX environment ax > x [ ] X Window System X Window System (complete) ax > > Which doesn't include some very important tasks (task-web-server > and task-programming come to mind), but is a large improvment from > what we have now. And almost even fits on one screen. I think the task package approach needs to be fundamentally re-thought, really. At Progeny we're adopting the concept of "package sets", and that should be public really soon if it isn't already. I'll ask about it. -- G. Branden Robinson | I am sorry, but what you have mistaken Debian GNU/Linux | for malicious intent is nothing more branden@debian.org | than sheer incompetence! http://www.debian.org/~branden/ | -- J. L. Rizzo II
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