Should example scripts be compressed?

[gregor herrmann]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:11:18 +0000, Nicholas Bamber wrote:

> Jawnsy's observations
> ---------------------
> As far as I can see Jawnsy has made the following observations:
> 1.) Currently the default practice is to compress.
> 2.) The existing packages would have to be updated.
> 3.) The build infrastructure would have to be modified.

Additional info: Examples (as a subset of /usr/share/doc/<pkg>) are
not compressed "just for fun" but because policy 12.3 says: "Any
additional documentation ... should be
... compressed with gzip -9 unless it is small."
(Interestingly 12.6 doesn't talk about compression ...)

"Small" is of course rather vague, and that's where dh_compress' 4k
come from as an arbitrary limit.
 
> Periapt's reply
> ---------------
> 1.) The default practice is not necessarily optimal. 

I agree in general. As a user I was more than once annoyed about
having to take extra steps.
As a maintainer I have sometimes installed examples uncompressed when
I thought it makes sense in that case (and not when I didn't care
enough in the specific case).

> 2.) I think this is a subtle but definite improvement. A mass update
> would not be required.

Agreed. If we decide to prefer/recommend/allow... uncompressed
examples this can be done when updating packages, and by those whoe
care about it.
 
> 3.) Absolutely, it is the goal of this group to automate as much as
> possible. However if asked , I am sure that  Joey Hess would say

I'd rather ask him than guess about his reply :)


Cheers,
gregor

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