[Pkg-samba-maint] Bug#496197: libsmbclient: package description overhaul

[Steve Langasek]

On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 01:54:34PM +0100, Justin B Rye wrote:
> Package: libsmbclient
> 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.


> Problems shared with other packages in the set:
> * "allows to write" is a very characteristic non-native-speakerism
> 	(though the "allows applications to talk" is fine!)
> * the words "applications" and "servers" are repeated awkwardly.
> * developer-centric documentation: users don't install libsmbclient
> 	to "write applications", they install it to run	applications
> 	(or just because kde depends on it).
> * Samba is all about OS interoperability, so keep the OS names
> 	straight.  It's not just for "Unix servers", it's also for
> 	GNU/Linux!
> * and the wishlist item: WIBNI all the packages in the suite had
> 	consistently styled short descriptions.  Likewise, in this
> 	case, consistent what-Samba-is boilerplate.
> 
> Suggested replacement text:
> | Description: Samba client libraries
> |  The Samba software suite implements the SMB/CIFS protocol, providing
> |  cross-platform support for Windows-style network shares.
> |  .
> |  This package provides a library for client applications that talk to
> |  Microsoft Windows (or Samba) servers.

Counter-proposal:

 Description: shared library for communication with SMB/CIFS servers
  This package provides a shared library that enables client applications
  to talk to Microsoft Windows and Samba servers using the SMB/CIFS
  protocol.

Again, I don't see why we should care about a boilerplate "what is Samba"
explanation here.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek at ubuntu.com                                     vorlon at debian.org