review request for the debconf templates used by the nvidia graphics driver [non-free]

[Justin B Rye]

Andreas Beckmann wrote:
> I'm asking for an English language review before I mark the new ones as
> translatable and send out a call for translations.

Thanks - the actual English looks good, but:

> Template: nvidia-support/needs-xorg-conf-to-enable
> Type: note

Debconf notes are of course deprecated, though then again so are
non-free drivers, so maybe they deserve one another.  Would it be
possible to just put this warning in the package description?

> Description: Manual configuration required to enable nvidia driver

See end notes on capitalisation.

>  The nvidia driver is not yet configured.
>  This driver needs to be enabled in xorg.conf before it can be used.
>  Please see the package documentation for instructions.

This reads as if it's trying to put a paragraph break at the short
line, but that would require a line consisting of ".".  I would
suggest instead phrasing it as something like:

  Description: Manual configuration required to enable Nvidia driver
   The Nvidia driver is not yet configured; it needs to be enabled in
   xorg.conf before it can be used.
   .
   Please see the package documentation for instructions.

> Template: nvidia-support/removed-but-enabled-in-xorg-conf
> Type: note
> #flag:translate!:3
> Description: Nvidia driver is still enabled in xorg.conf
>  The Nvidia driver was just removed, but it is still enabled in the
>  Xorg configuration. X cannot be (re-)started successfully until Nvidia
>  is disabled in the following config file(s):
>  .
>  ${config-files}
>  .
>  Note that switching to the free Nouveau driver requires the
>  nvidia-kernel-common package to be purged (not just removed).

No extra complaints other than the standard one for "Type: note";
could this one perhaps be promoted to "Type: error"?
 
> I'm not sure whether it's worth to translate the following as the
> unsupported 96xx legacy driver will be removed in wheezy+1:
> (the package displaying this error already depends on
> xserver-xorg-video-nouveau)
> 
> 
> Template: nvidia/unsupported-legacy-96xx
> Type: error
> Description: NVIDIA legacy 96xx driver is no longer supported.

Oh, another capitalisation option!

>  NVIDIA has not updated the legacy 96xx driver to support the current Xserver

This should probably be "Nvidia Corporation" to make it clear it isn't
talking about some piece of software.  "The current Xserver" should
probably be "current X servers", and there's missing punctuation at
the end of the line.

>  This driver is therefore no longer usable.  For graphics adapters that are
>  not supported by a newer Nvidia driver generation the only possibility is to
>  use the free Nouveau driver.

(I would say "the only option"; less logical but more idiomatic.)

>  .
>  In order to switch to the nouveau driver, please uninstall all nvidia
>  driver packages and *purge* (just removing is insufficient) the
>  nvidia-kernel-common package.  Also remove all nvidia specific configuration
>  from /etc/X11/xorg.conf (and xorg.conf.d/).

Why this order?  How about:

  Template: nvidia/unsupported-legacy-96xx
  Type: error
  Description: Nvidia legacy 96xx driver is no longer supported.
   Nvidia Corporation has not updated the legacy 96xx driver to support 
   current X servers, so this driver is no longer usable. For graphics
   adapters that are not supported by a newer Nvidia driver generation,
   the only option is to use the free Nouveau driver.
   .
   To switch to the Nouveau driver, please uninstall all Nvidia driver
   packages, remove all Nvidia-specific configuration from
   /etc/X11/xorg.conf (and xorg.conf.d/), and *purge* the
   nvidia-kernel-common package - just removing it is insufficient.
 
> 
> For completeness, I'm also adding the templates that have been in use since
> squeeze, are already translated, but haven't gotten a review so far:
> 
> Template: nvidia-installer-cleanup/uninstall-nvidia-installer
> Type: boolean
> Default: true
> _Description: Run 'nvidia-installer --uninstall'?
>  The 'nvidia-installer' program was found on your system.  This is
>  probably left over from an earlier installation of the non-free NVIDIA
>  graphics driver, installed using the NVIDIA *.run file directly.  This
>  installation is incompatible with the Debian packages.  To install the
>  Debian packages safely, it is therefore necessary to undo the changes
>  performed by 'nvidia-installer'.

"d-l-e house style" nitpicks:

  _Description: Run "nvidia-installer --uninstall"?
   The nvidia-installer program was found on this system. This is
   probably left over from an earlier installation of the non-free Nvidia
   graphics driver, installed using the Nvidia *.run file directly. This
   installation is incompatible with the Debian packages. To install the
   Debian packages safely, it is therefore necessary to undo the changes
   performed by nvidia-installer.
 
> Template: nvidia-installer-cleanup/delete-nvidia-installer
> Type: boolean
> Default: true
> _Description: Delete 'nvidia-installer' files?
>  Some files from the 'nvidia-installer' still remain on your system.
>  These probably come from an earlier installation of the non-free NVIDIA
>  graphics driver using the *.run file directly.  Running the
>  uninstallation procedure may have failed and left these behind.  These
>  files conflict with the packages providing the non-free NVIDIA graphics
>  driver and must be removed before the package installation can continue.

"d-l-e house style" nitpicks:

  _Description: Delete nvidia-installer files?
   Some files from the nvidia-installer program still remain on this system.
   These probably come from an earlier installation of the non-free Nvidia
   graphics driver using the *.run file directly. Running the
   uninstallation procedure may have failed and left these behind. These
   files conflict with the packages providing the non-free Nvidia graphics
   driver and must be removed before the package installation can continue.
> 
> Template: nvidia-installer-cleanup/remove-conflicting-libraries
> Type: boolean
> Default: true
> #flag:translate!:3
> _Description: Remove conflicting library files?
>  The following libraries were found on your system and conflict with
>  the current installation of the NVIDIA graphics drivers:
>  .
>  ${conflict-libs}
>  .
>  These libraries are most likely remnants of an old installation using the
>  nvidia-installer and do not belong to any package managed by dpkg.  It
>  should be safe to delete them.

"d-l-e house style" nitpicks:

  _Description: Remove conflicting library files?
   The following libraries were found on your this and conflict with
   the current installation of the Nvidia graphics drivers:
   .
   ${conflict-libs}
   .
   These libraries are most likely remnants of an old installation using the
   nvidia-installer program and do not belong to any package managed by dpkg.
   It should be safe to delete them.

> Template: nvidia-support/warn-mismatching-module-version
> Type: note

(These last two notes also look to me like arguable "Type: error"s.)

> # Translators, do not translate the substitution variables (${new-version},
> # ${running-version}) and the command 'rmmod nvidia'.
> _Description: Mismatching nvidia kernel module loaded
>  The nvidia driver that is being installed (version ${new-version})
>  does not match the nvidia kernel module currently loaded
>  (version ${running-version}).
>  .
>  The X server, OpenGL or GPGPU applications may not work properly.
>  .
>  The easiest way to 'fix' this is to reboot the machine once the
>  installation has finished.  You can also stop the X server (usually by
>  stopping the login manager, e.g. gdm3, kdm or xdm), manually unload the
>  module (rmmod nvidia) and restart the X server.

"d-l-e house style" nitpicks:

   The Nvidia driver that is being installed (version ${new-version})
   does not match the nvidia kernel module currently loaded
   (version ${running-version}).
   .
   The X server, OpenGL, and GPGPU applications may not work properly.
   .
   The easiest way to fix this is to reboot the machine once the
   installation has finished. You can also stop the X server (usually by
   stopping the login manager, e.g. gdm3, kdm, or xdm), manually unload the
   module ("rmmod nvidia"), and restart the X server.

> 
> Template: nvidia-support/warn-nouveau-module-loaded
> Type: note
> _Description: Conflicting nouveau kernel module loaded
>  The free 'nouveau' kernel module is currently loaded and conflicts with the
>  non-free 'nvidia' kernel module.
>  .
>  The easiest way to fix this is to reboot the machine once the
>  installation has finished.

"d-l-e house style" nitpicks:

   The free nouveau kernel module is currently loaded and conflicts with the
   non-free nvidia kernel module.
 
> There is an inconsistent way of capitalizing or using quotes (or doing
> nothing) for driver, package, command and other names.
> Which one should be preferred?

The approach I've taken above is to say that it's the "Nvidia
Corporation" and "Nvidia driver" (brandnames) but "nvidia-installer"
and "nvidia kernel module" (verbatim strings).
-- 
JBR	with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian
	sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package