[Debian-med-packaging] Bug#707632: Bug#707632: gnuhealth: Package layout

[Emilien Klein]

Matthias, we had discussed this in the past, but I hadn't taken the
time to properly respond directly on the bug report.

Your (welcome!) contributions on the recent discussion [0] finally
forces me to take care of this topic ;)

Regarding your suggestions to split the gnuhealth Debian package into
one binary package for each modules, I still object to that. I see
absolutely no benefit to the user to have him perform the following
workflow:

- Install a barebones gnuhealth-server package using APT
- Launching the Tryton client, initializing the base GNU Health module
(health_profile)
- Testing around, determining it's missing the functionality provided
by the health_blabla module
- Close the client, go back to the terminal/software center
- Install the gnuhealth-blabla module using APT
- Restarting the Tryton client and having to select the blabla module
to initialize it

A workflow like this is thus much easier for the user:

- Install a the gnuhealth-server package using APT
- Launching the Tryton client, initializing the base GNU Health module
(health_profile)
- Testing around, determining it's missing the functionality provided
by the health_blabla module
- Stay in the Tryton client, select the blabla module to initialize it

The total size of all the GNU Health modules once installed is less
than 45 Mb. Disc size is thus not an issue.

The modularity that makes Tryton great lies in the ability to select
which modules you want to use. You can have modules installed that you
don't use, so there is no problem in installing all the GNU Health
modules in one package.

This also alleviates the issues that you are facing, whenever a new
Tryton module is released, you need to have it uploaded by a Debian
Developer, and the package has to be processed in the NEW queue, etc.

Please let me know if you strongly disagree, if so please give
technical details on why the package should not provide all modules.
If not, I will soon close this issue.

Thanks for your time maintaining the Tryton modules, and reviewing the
GNU Health package
   +Emilien

[0] https://lists.debian.org/debian-med/2014/03/msg00202.html