[Debtags-devel] Updating tags on svn

[Thaddeus H. Black]

> Some issues I stumbled on:

Thank you for asking.

>  - Are X terminals: role::sw:application, role::sw:utility or something
>    else?

This is a hard question.  Questions like this came up many times during
debram development, so the question does make sense to me.  Xterm is a
very important program which deserves special attention and proper
tagging.  If we find no adequate way to tag xterm, then we may need to
group xterm together with other X terminals and to define a new tag.

However, there must remain some limit to the multiplication of tags.
Xterm is not an application in the same way that mozilla-firefox is.
Xterm is more basic.  Either of the two tags suggested seems reasonable,
but if you ask me, role::sw:utility seems the better subjective fit.

>  - Are games role::sw:application, or should I create role::sw:game?

Traditionally in the Unix world, a game(6) is not an application(1).
That is a worthy tradition which we should follow.  Absolutely, create
role::sw:game.

One or two packages, like fortune (which I think is a game) and rolldice
(which I think is a random-number generator) will defy easy
classification.  Nevertheless, for the most part, what is a game and
what is not a game is one of the easiest, clearest distinctions to draw
in the Debian archive.

(There exist a related class of packages: game programming.  Game
programming packages are not in themselves games.  Fortunately we find
in practice that we can sequester game programming packages as easily
and clearly as we can sequester games themselves.  No practical trouble
arises here.  We just need to define the needed tag.)

In general, when a new tag candidate is considered, we ask:

  (a) Does the tag convey useful information to developers or to a
  significant population of users?

  (b) Does the tag identify a clear, natural division in the archive?

If yes and yes, accept the tag.  If no and no, reject it.  Otherwise,
reluctantly consider accepting the tag if no one can think of a better
alternative, but give people some time to think of a better alternative
first.

>  - Are shells use::login?

I do not know.  Hm.  This tagging thing is harder than one would think.

Is there such a thing as a shell which does not use::login?

-- 
Thaddeus H. Black
508 Nellie's Cave Road
Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, USA
+1 540 961 0920, t at b-tk.org, thb at debian.org

(6) This is not a footnote, but rather a reference to man section 6.
(1) Same here.  See man(1).
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