Findings on www.d.o doc about how to Debian package
Please CC me on your answers. Thank you.
Introduction
============
I have a python program that I want to package. Before doing that I
thought I would start with an easier task. Try to package a 'Hello
World' python program.
I thought I would help you on analising www.d.o site just for this
single task. Just as I did some time ago with Debian derivatives wiki
pages (I was interested in them.)
This is part of the Rescatux development and I happen to record it in
Youtube. So here's the first part where I find a lot of things that I
will explain in this email.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B90QdXeT2Fw
And here there is the second part which I'm not sure if I will
broadcast just after sending this email:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USyRax0Rqf8
Forwards
========
If you think debian-www@l.d.o is not the right place for me to send
this email please advice where to send it. Thank you.
Objetive
========
I'm a python developer. I want to package my Hello World python
program thanks to www.d.o content. Will I be able to do so?
Why is this useful?
===================
If a python/other language developer does not find straight-forward
instructions in www.d.o on how to package its program into Debian
packages he might consider dropping Debian packaging altogether and
search for other distributions.
Findings
=========
* https://www.debian.org/ . I click on Developers' Corner because nobody
else makes sense.
* https://www.debian.org/devel/index.en.html
1) In order to attract new Debian maintainers Developer's corner should
have "New Maintainers' Guide" at the top and not 'Debian Policy Manual'.
I mean I spent around 30 minutes or 45 minutes reading 'Debian Policy
Manual' till I found out it wasn't what I was looking for.
'Debian Policy Manual' is just below Packaging because your webpage is
clearly oriented towards to 'Current Debian Developers'.
If you are a 'Current Debian Developer' you expect to see 'Debian Policy
Manual' at first glance because you already know how to package. You
don't need to check the 'New maintainers guide'.
Moreover having so many 'several documents related to the Policy' links
makes difficult to find the "New Maintainer's Guide" for a newcomer.
That's one more reason to add to my argumentation on www.d.o should be
redesigned so that each type of target public has their own pages.
Given that 'Current Debian Developers' are supposed to know their way on
www.d.o I recommend in order to attract new Debian maintainers that
Developer's corner should have "New Maintainers' Guide" at the top and
not the current 'Debian Policy Manual'.
* https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ - As I said I clicked here
because I was confused by the page.
2) https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-binary.html does not
explain what a "Binary package" is .
Either the documentation writer assumes the reader knows what a "Binary
package" is or an explanation (or link to it) on it is missing.
3) https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-source.html does not
explain what a "Source package" is .
Either the documentation writer assumes the reader knows what a "Source
package" is or an explanation (or link to it) on it is missing.
* https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/ - I finally find the
"New Maintainers' guide".
4) https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/ should provide a
multi language link (on the bottom) to the other translated versions of
the guide. Similar to what www.d.o site does.
5) New maintainers guide should have at its very beginning a
quick-and-dirty mini-guide on how to package a 'Language' program for
each one of the 5 most used 'Programming languages' in Debian.
Maybe I'm wrong on this point because it might not be the 'New
maintainers guide' purpose to cover those contents but... if it is not
then it should go somewhere else in the "Developer's corner" page for sure.
6) Please use the hello world program referenced in
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/first.en.html#choose
instead of the more complex gentoo one found in:
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/first.en.html#getit .
This guide starts quite well by proposing to use the
'hello-sh-1.0.tar.gz' on your own.
Then,later, when they explain how to try it and how to build a Debian
package then, instead of just using that previous hello-sh ... (so that
you can check if your previous steps were welll done)... they base their
examples on gentoo program !
I admit gentoo program should be there because it's complex (needs to be
actually built) but the 'hello-sh-1.0.tar.gz' program should be also be
explained on how to build a Debian package.
adrian15
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