Ian Jackson wrote: >I propose the following policy: > >No package shall create without approval any command name (or >corresponding manpage): > >1. not matching the regexp ^[a-z0-9].. >2. matching ^... if it creates more than two such >3. matching [^-+._,a-z0-9], or
Let me restate this in English, to be sure that I understand it: "No package shall create without approval any command name or manpage less than four characters long. Commands must consist only of lower-case letters, digits or the symbols within these quotes: "-+._,". A package may, however, create up to two three-character commands without its maintainer's seeking approval." I can see the sense in limiting punctuation characters, but why allow a comma? >4. which is a single common dictionary word > >or any directory directly in /, /usr or /var. > >Approval will not normally be granted except for the use of capital >letters where there appear in an upstream package command name. > >The fact that an upstream package uses a short or otherwise poor >command name or placement will not in itself be a justification for >using that name in Debian (nor will reasining derived from purely that >fact, such as that users will be `expecting' the short name). >A sound technical reason for the shortness of the command may be >considered relevant. Many short names are part of traditional Unix; I can't think of a sound technical reason to support _any_ name, except perhaps '['. Names are for people, not programs. I would certainly be unhappy to have ls changed to list or dir to conform to this policy. I just don't see the need for being so restrictive. -- Oliver Elphick [EMAIL PROTECTED] Isle of Wight http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver PGP key from public servers; key ID 32B8FAA1
