[Mageia-discuss] Suggestions

Mon Oct 25 18:20:31 CEST 2010

Michael Scherer a écrit :
+> Le dimanche 24 octobre 2010 à 09:21 +0200, Wolfgang Bornath a écrit :
+>
+>    
+>> 2. What can we do to improve the package description in the
+>> "Individual package selection during system installation? Most
+>> descriptions there only say "Important" or "Comfortable" or some other
+>> nonsense like that. I really wonder who on earth had that idea!
+>> We need descriptions of the package, what it does. The description
+>> should be available for translation, so that according to the set
+>> language the user sees the package description in his language.
+>>      
+> Yup, but that's not trivial, from a technical point of view.
+>
+> Rpm allow to have translation in spec file, but that's not .po, that's
+> more "let's translators edit the source code directly", which is
+> unintegrated with translators tools, do not take care of fuzzy string
+> and may break software build due to subtilities in specs ( like the
+> usage of % for macros, etc ).
+>
+> More ever, everything will appear in the packages indexes, which mean :
+> - more memory used for all installation
+> - bigger indexes to download
+> - longer time to load from disk, which mean longer rpmdrake startup
+> - less space on cd and or dvd.
+>
+> So we need to find a better way.
+>
+> Better in two points :
+> - better way to distribute it
+> - better way to translate it
+>
+> The distribution part is IMHO the easiest now we have the control of the
+> main mirror. We can just split the hdlist in 2, one for the description,
+> for each languages, one for the metadata, and let urpmi/whatever combine
+> this into a regular hdlist and use this. We can even maybe find a way
+> that will not break smart and others.
+>
+> The translation part is more tricky, we tried in the past with the
+> CVS-po project, but it didn't work, maybe someone who as around that
+> time could tell us. Anne know for sure, Wolfgang is likely to know too.
+>
+> Basically, the idea was to extract the summary and description from the
+> packages indexes, and then convert this as .po file. There is a small
+> problem however. If we use .po per package, then it will be hellish for
+> translators to open 10000 files ( imho, maybe I am wrong ). If we use
+> one .po for repository, then the files are huge and maybe consume too
+> much ressources ( even if nowadays, laptops are provided with more
+> memory than the server we use at PLF for everything).
+>
+> Maybe we can group rpm .po, like 1 file for 100 rpms description, but I
+> fear this will bring problem too.
+>
+> Then we also have to write a software that goes from .po to hdlist, of
+> course, which may e non trivial ( as it requires both intimate knowledge
+> about rpm and gettext ).
+>
+>    
+>> 3. The same is needed in rpmdrake.
+>>
+>> In other words:
+>> We need a way to add descriptions to packages. These descriptions must
+>> be available for the installer in "Individual package selecteion" and
+>> there must be a way to have .po files for the translators.
+>>      
+> Yup.
+>
+>    
+>> Is there something which can be done without passing the ball to and
+>> fro like a tennis match?
+>>      
+> On the translation side, it is work. On the improve description side, I
+> suggest to organize day dedicated to the task, like the bug days. See my
+> other mail on the thread about it.
+>    
+There are some ideas fomenting here ...
+What about an online tool, with the descriptions by package, where 
+anyone (with the appropriate account) can contribute, seeing the current 
+description, and suggest changes.  The packager (or authorised person) 
+will confirm any changes, so this evolves dynamically.
+
+Translators access the confirmed description on line, and similarly make 
+changes for their language, with a similar confirmation process.
+Any changes to the base description are automatically signalled for 
+translators.
+
+During the cauldron period, maybe the translations are not necessarily 
+included, but for release time (at least), the base description and 
+confirmed translations are automatically included in the package, by 
+whatever tool is necessary.
+
+1) By having the description changes and translations made online, they 
+are easier to implement in a timely manner.
+
+2) There should be a way of doing it offline and posting changes online 
+as well.
+
+3) I don't know what software would be appropriate, but LibreOffice is 
+thinking of using Pootle, which seems to be appropriate from their 
+discussions.
+See : http://translate.sourceforge.net/wiki/pootle/index
+and : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pootle
+
+If we get something like this implemented, it will be a big improvement 
+over Mandriva, and probably most other distros.  Which should in turn 
+lead to their improvement as well.
+
+my 2 cents :)
+- André
+
+