[arch-general] [arch-dev-public] policy on desktop files?

[w9ya at qrparci.net]

> On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 6:32 PM,  <w9ya at qrparci.net> wrote:
>>
>> Why ?, well there is no reason NOT to have one in such circumstances,
>> and often the upstream guys are expecting the downstream packagers to
>> supply it. <- And that's o.k. with me.
>>
>
> That's not alright. Anything that causes useless and stupid duplicated
> work is not alright.
> In my opinion, here is how things should work:
> User X notices package foo is missing a .desktop file
> X checks if a desktop file is already provided in upstream source
> tarball If yes, he reports a bug on arch bug tracker asking to provide
> the desktop file, and it's over.
> If not, he writes a desktop file and submit it upstream.
> If upstream accepts, it's over.
> If upstream first refuses, people should keep insisting and trying to
> make sense of them.
> Finally, in the (hopefully few) cases where upstream is really too dumb,
> he can submit it to arch bug tracker as an arch specific desktop file.
>
> Hopefully this should reduce the load of arch packagers and move it to
> arch community and upstream.

It entails NO 'duplicated work' for me to supply a .desktop file when one
is not extent. And my supplying it is not 'useless' (work) either. (And
since I work from a template, it is also simple.)

Um, your "policy" steps above sure seems to be a lot more steps than just
making a .desktop file and including in the package while also submitting
it to the upstream package author. Of course IF the upstream adopts the
.desktop file then the package maintainer can remove his. <- If you are
really advocating *less* "duplicated" and "useless" work, I cannot accept
this set of steps you propose as a way to achieve that result.

Or put more succinctly, we do NOT need a policy on this past just some
plain ol' common sense. i.e. DO what you can for the folks downstream that
will be using the package you are maintaining, (make them a .desktop
file). And let the folks upstream (that author the program code) know
about your .desktop file so they can adopt what you wrote if they choose
to. And NO I am NOT gonna generate a "useless" arch bug report about it.


Very best regards;

Bob Finch

Liviu Librescu - În veci pomenirea lui.
(May his memory be eternal.)