[Pkg-samba-maint] Bug#496205: smbclient: package description overhaul

[Justin B Rye]

Package: smbclient
Version: 2:3.2.1-1
Severity: minor

This is part of a set of related bugreports on the packages in the
Samba suite; I've already reported many of these issues (with some
suggested fixes) as a single bugreport on samba4 (see #486370), but
since that approach is a dud I'm trying the alternative of splitting
them up and targetting individual packages.

Current package description:         
# Description: a LanManager-like simple client for Unix
#  The Samba software suite is a collection of programs that
#  implements the SMB/CIFS protocol for unix systems, allowing you to serve
#  files and printers to Windows, NT, OS/2 and DOS clients. This protocol
#  is sometimes also referred to as the LanManager or NetBIOS protocol.
#  .
#  This package contains some client components of the Samba suite. In
#  particular it includes the command line utilities smbclient, smbtar,
#  and smbspool. If you want to mount shares exported from Microsoft
#  Windows machines or a Samba server you must install the smbfs package.

Problems shared with other packages in the set:
* Developers Reference 6.2.2 says the package synopsis should not
	begin with an article.
* Samba is all about OS interoperability, so keep the OS names
	straight.  It's not just "for Unix" (or "unix systems"),
	it's also for GNU/Linux!  Likewise, "Windows, NT, OS/2 and
	DOS clients"... NT is also Windows, and Samba works for
	(smbclient on) OpenVMS too!
* the SMB/CIFS protocol is _not_ also referred to as "the LanManager
	or NetBIOS protocol" except by people copying this text.
	The comparison to LanManager in the synopsis line is
	particularly unhelpful and dated (and wasn't the correct
	spelling "LAN Manager"?)
* and a wishlist item: WIBNI all the packages in the suite had
	consistently styled short descriptions.  (In this case I'd
	make it particularly close to the server package, samba.)

Problems unique to this package:
* "simple" might mean either "basic, CLI-ish" or "easy, GUI-ish".
* smbclient contains more than just /usr/bin/smbclient; its package
	synopsis shouldn't describe it as a (singular) client.
* the "if you want ... you must" makes it unnecessarily personal.
	Even if I'm only reluctantly following routine company
	policy, the fact remains, smbmount is in smbfs.

Suggested replacement text:
| Description: Samba 'Network Neighborhood' command line clients
|  The Samba software suite implements the SMB/CIFS protocol, providing
|  cross-platform support for Windows-style network shares.
|  .
|  This package contains command line utilities for accessing Microsoft
|  Windows (or Samba) servers, including smbclient, smbtar, and smbspool.
|  Utilities for mounting shares locally are in the package smbfs.

-- 
JBR - please CC me (or the debian-l10n-english list) in replies