From: Milan Zamazal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Package Descrption I18N Proposal Date: 13 Dec 1998 21:15:39 +0100
> Or is it no problem, since descriptions do not change much? Maybe, but > *logically*, each package should have exactly corresponding description > translations. :-) This is applied to every case, as far as we translate the description. > If descriptions were parts of upstream packages, there would be no > problem with your proposal. However I don't think this happens soon (if > ever), so I have to look at descriptions as a Debian specific add-on. I agree to this. > I can see the following problems with description translations in > packages: > > - The "synchronization" problem mentioned above. This will never be avoided as far as we translate the description. > - Extra work for package maintainer. Currently, if we simply get > Packages and translate it, we need no maintainer assistance. We can > also update translations ourselves. If we use destrans-X.Y.Z.deb package or similar method, all of the translation will go to the destrans-X.Y.Z.deb maintainer and he have to do a (perhaps more) hard work. > The "dpkg -I" problem with all descriptions together in one place is not > fatal. You can either have older translation available or you can get > the latest destrans-X.Y.Z.deb package. If you don't feel this fatal or even weird, I have nothing to say any longer. It is not a technical issue but a feeling issue and will never be concluded. > I'm not sure which approach is better. Could you please elaborate on > the two problems mentioned above? I've given up my proposal because it is impossible to persuade all the package developers (and what is worse, most of the developers seem not to have much interest with this issue and it is not technical as mentioned above). I understood that we cannot do a thing beyond the current framework (but develop packages). Even in making a little change, we have to discuss much (optimization for Pentium, source dependency, non-interactive installation or even adding a new section, for example) and only a few of them are achieved (and what are left will be discussed repeatedly all the year around), so I regret my posting "never feasible proposal". And I have no idea to realize "translated description" system in a practical way. I've decided to do the best in developing my package, not in changing current framework. Thanks, ---- Keita Maehara <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
