[Build-common-hackers] Bug#439717: run dh_desktop if needed

[Daniel Leidert]

I read your discussion and I think, you are wrong Peter.

Everything done by dh_desktop is to add an *optional* call to
update-mime-database to create the central MIME mapping
database /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache, if the
installed .desktop file contains a MimeType field. Running dh_desktop is
just a simplification of work. Otherwise maintainers would have to check
installed .desktop files for the MimeType field by hand.

The update-desktop-database tool itself is a cross-desktop tool, the
specification is a cross-desktop specification and it is already used by
GNOME, KDE, ROX and XFCE4. So where is the problem? The idea behind the
spec is to create a common system for MIME mappings to replace the
different solutions created and used by the mentioned desktops in the
past. And that's already the case. GNOME has changed to this system as
of version 2.4, KDE has already changed (/usr/share/applnk is already
pretty empty, but /usr/share/applications/kde has been filled) - but I
cannot remember the exact time - ditto for ROX and XFCE4.

So the database is used by all these desktops. So dh_desktop should run
by default and not just for GNOME. Why you refuse it?

And about the dependency on desktop-file-utils: Does dh_installmenu add
a dependency on menu? Is menu marked "required"? No for both questions.
So why should dh_desktop add a dependency on desktop-file-utils, also an
optional package?

PS: About "MIME mappings have worked fine for everyone else so far". I
often observe questions about evolution not opening MIME types with
special programs and similar questions. Please check the archives, if
you do not believe me. Further KDE AFAIK *additionally* uses the
metamail system and it currently still uses /usr/share/applnk too. So
KDE users probably see some MIME mappings, but also miss a lot, if
desktop-file-utils are not installed.

Regards, Daniel