Bug#587620: apt: add an optionnal "Why" field to "suggest" entries (in the dependency field)

[Goswin von Brederlow <goswin-v-b@web.de>]

Alexandre Fournier <brutus@free.fr> writes:

> Package: apt
> Version: 0.7.25.3
> Severity: wishlist
>
> Hello,
>
> Sometimes, from a user point of view, understanding  why a package A recommends
> or suggests package B1 or B2 is not straightforward.
>
> It would be nice to add  an optionnal  "why" field to explain what features are
> enabled in package A when installing package B1.
>
> Ideally, this could be displayed when the user calls : apt-cache show or looks
> at the package data in another front-end for apt. This way, they would know
> from the start if they want to install package B1 all along, when installing A.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Alexandre Fournier

Imho that is not something that affects apt.

First you should make a proposal to introduce the WHY field in packages
and get them to adopt it. Probably best to write to debian-devel and
build a consensus. This can be done first as custom field even
without needing to patch dpkg for a new field. The field would
automatically be shown by apt-cache too. So you are already most of the
way there.

Only once the WHY field is in use in a large number of apckages
front-ends could be changed to support it. But that would be a bug for
aptitude, adept, cupts, ... rather than apt itself.

MfG
        Goswin