[Debian-hebrew-common] user-he package - a few issues for discussion.

[Baruch Even]

Shlomi Loubaton wrote:
> Hi
> 
> On 12/16/05, Lior Kaplan <kaplanlior at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I'd like to discuss several issues about the user-he package (previous
>>name was debian-hebrew).
>>
>>Current state:
>>The package has a script that adds Hebrew support for the system, and
>>makes the interface to be in Hebrew. The package itself depends on lots
>>of other packages related to hebrew (KDE, Firefox and OO.org hebrew
>>support packages) and other software like hsepll, geresh, katoob, mlterm...
>>
>>The issues:
>>1. I'd prefer to default operation of the script would be to add Hebrew
>>support, but not to change the interface (Hebrew enabled system). This
>>mean that the script would reconfigure the locales to add he_IL.UTF-8
>>(but won't set it as the default), and set the Hebrew keyboard in the X
>>server.
> 
> 
> I think I would expect such behaviour from such package.

Who is the target user, you or a Linux novice who barely knows the
command line?

If the script needs an extra option --english-interface will it be hard
for you? What if it needs --hebrew-interface for the novice?


>>2. Since the interface is left in English (or any other non Hebrew
>>language), I don't think the package should depends on packages that add
>>Hebrew interface only (mozilla-firefox-locale-he-il,
>>mozilla-firefox-theme-rtlclassic, kde-i18n-he, koffice-i18n-he).
>>
>>3. I don't think we should depends on all of the hebrew-related packages
>>but only on the package we must have for Hebrew support. I think culmus
>>and ttf-freefont are the only ones.
>>
>>4. All the other packages can be installed by script which simply do
>>apt-get install. For example: hebrew-packages.sh with kde as argument
>>would install kde-i18n-he, koffice-i18n-he, kkbswitch.
>>
>>What say you ?
> 
> 
> I wouldn't expect such package to depend on all those, maybe to
> recommend them. Adding a script to install different sets of packages
> doesn't sound like the "Debian way" to me (is there an example in
> official Debian repository that does something like that?). but how
> about splitting the package to :

There is no script that I know that does that simply because the
dependency system is for this specific thing.

I disagree about breaking up the package, we want it *simple*, we can
make the script Recommend all the package and depend only on those it
really needs (culmus), but I really do want it to bring in *everything*
hebrew for those who don't know what package selection is.

I want the user to do a simple Debian install and get a fully Hebrewized
system, where EVERYTHING JUST WORKS, this includes OpenOffice with
Hebrew spell checking on the fly, Firefox in Hebrew and the whole shebang!

And then maybe put a nice script that toggles the system between Hebrew
Enabled and Hebrew Native. Put a gui on top of it, wrap it in gnome-sudo
and let the user switch it if he hates Hebrew interface (like I do).

Baruch