Package: dpkg
Version: 1.14.18
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
I've been going through Essential looking for package descriptions
that are in need of a review. I've already dealt with all the
"Severity: normal" ones (see #482098, #482666, #458029, #483023,
#483221), but dpkg heads my list of "minor" cases.
# Package: dpkg
# Description: package maintenance system for Debian
# This package contains the low-level commands for handling the installation
# and removal of packages on your system.
# .
# In order to unpack and build Debian source packages you will need to
# install the developers' package `dpkg-dev' as well as this one.
* "Package maintenance" is what Debian package maintainers do; what
dpkg provides is the "package management" system.
* Do packages "contain" commands? Yes, they literally contain
executables; but for commands I'd say "provides".
* As well as "commands", this package provides essential files like
ostable and directories like /var/lib/dpkg/info/.
* The personal pronouns aren't appropriate (it might not be my
hardware, and I might not have root access).
* It's oddly stilted (especially the possessive "developers'").
* Unpacking a source package doesn't strictly require dpkg-dev.
* TeXish `quotes' standing in for <tt>...</tt> (apparently).
How about:
Description: Debian package management system
This package provides the low-level infrastructure for handling the
installation and removal of Debian software packages.
.
For Debian package development tools, install dpkg-dev.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.25.custom
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Versions of packages dpkg depends on:
ii coreutils 6.10-3 The GNU core utilities
ii libc6 2.7-10 GNU C Library: Shared libraries
dpkg recommends no packages.
-- no debconf information
--
JBR
Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
diff -ru dpkg-1.14.19.pristine/debian/control dpkg-1.14.19/debian/control
--- dpkg-1.14.19.pristine/debian/control 2008-05-12 05:24:36.000000000 +0100
+++ dpkg-1.14.19/debian/control 2008-06-01 16:00:45.000000000 +0100
@@ -23,12 +23,11 @@
dpkg-dev (<< 1.14.16), apt (<< 0.7.7), aptitude (<< 0.4.7-1)
Replaces: manpages-de (<= 0.4-3), manpages-pl (<= 20051117-1)
Suggests: apt, lzma
-Description: package maintenance system for Debian
- This package contains the low-level commands for handling the installation
- and removal of packages on your system.
+Description: Debian package management system
+ This package privides the low-level infrastructure for handling the
+ installation and removal of Debian software packages.
.
- In order to unpack and build Debian source packages you will need to
- install the developers' package `dpkg-dev' as well as this one.
+ For Debian package development tools, install dpkg-dev.
Package: dpkg-dev
Section: utils
