Bug#512198: openssh-client: Suggestion for improved short description of package
Package: openssh-client
Version: 1:5.1p1-5
Severity: wishlist
The current short package descriptions refer to rsh, yet for some years,
new users are unlikely to have used rsh, and experienced users are
likely (like me!) not to have used rsh for years.
Also, it's a good idea to avoid indirection if possible!
Hence, I suggest the following short package descriptions:
openssh-client: ssh client, for secure access to remote machines
openssh-server: ssh server, for secure access from remote machines
Some comments:
1. I think it's important to mention "ssh", since there are other
implementations.
2. I tried and failed to mention login, command execution and file
copying. Even had I succeeded, I would have had to omit tunnelling,
which is another important use of ssh. If you can think of a
sufficiently brief way of mentioning all these, that would be great.
I think you should also remove the mention of rsh &c. from the long
package description:
"is intended as a replacement for rlogin, rsh and rcp, and"
so that the sentence starts "It can be used" and instead just add a
short sentence at the end:
"ssh replaces the obsolete and insecure rsh, rcp and rlogin programs."
(You may consider that one or both of "obsolete" and "insecure" is
unfair, in which case please feel free to find more just words.)
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 5.0
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.26-1-686 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Versions of packages openssh-client depends on:
ii adduser 3.110 add and remove users and groups
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.24 Debian configuration management sy
ii dpkg 1.14.24 Debian package management system
ii libc6 2.7-18 GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii libcomerr2 1.41.3-1 common error description library
ii libedit2 2.11~20080614-1 BSD editline and history libraries
ii libkrb53 1.6.dfsg.4~beta1-5 MIT Kerberos runtime libraries
ii libncurses5 5.7+20081213-1 shared libraries for terminal hand
ii libssl0.9.8 0.9.8g-15 SSL shared libraries
ii passwd 1:4.1.1-6 change and administer password and
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.3.3.dfsg-12 compression library - runtime
Versions of packages openssh-client recommends:
ii openssh-blacklist 0.4.1 list of default blacklisted OpenSS
pn openssh-blacklist-extra <none> (no description available)
ii xauth 1:1.0.3-2 X authentication utility
Versions of packages openssh-client suggests:
pn keychain <none> (no description available)
pn libpam-ssh <none> (no description available)
pn ssh-askpass <none> (no description available)
-- no debconf information
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