Bug#173120: apt-cache's 'size' should say what units

[Dan Jacobson <jidanni@dman.ddts.net>]

>>>>> "M" == Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org> writes:

M> On Sun, Dec 15, 2002 at 06:18:56AM +0800, Dan Jacobson wrote:
>> Yes RTFM, but still, you might want to mention if you are talking
>> bytes, kb, blocks or what, right there in the output. instead of
>> current no units style e.g.,
>> 
>> $ apt-cache show avifile-player
>> Installed-Size: 392
>> Size: 109226

M> Installed-Size is part of the binary package control file format, and its
M> meaning is specified by the policy manual.  Size is part of the Packages
M> file format, and its size is in bytes.  apt-cache is simply reproducing this

ohmygod, you mean to say the two might even differ in units?  All the
more reason to be explicit in the output.  BTW, and if one day the
policy manual changes, there is no alert in the output.
BTW, I am taking the standpoint of the 'average user' who might not in
daily contact with the policy manual.

M> information verbatim, and it does not attempt to convert it into a more
M> human-readable form (it just happens that the machine-readable format is
M> also human-readable).

M> A more 'friendly' frontend to apt might display these values differently,
M> but apt-cache is most useful with its current behaviour, I think.

hmmm, some commands have options to turn on 'human readable', some
have options for 'machine readable'... ok never mind that, instead:
I notice that the word 'size' appears nowhere on the apt-cache man page...