Package: lzma Version: 4.43-14 Severity: minor Tags: patch As lzma's Priority goes up, its package description becomes more of an embarrassment. Here's some suggested changes; and once I'm editing the control file I might as well review all the others in the same source package, for consistency. Patch attached; justifications below.
> -Homepage: http://www.7-zip.org/sdk.htm > +Homepage: http://www.7-zip.org/sdk.html Typo-fix. > Package: lzma [...] > -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program > +Description: LZMA compression - command line utility The original is wobbly English, but more importantly it's useless as a description of this package (unless users happen to be familiar with 7-Zip). Replace it with something informative and DevRef6.2.2-compliant. > - LZMA is a compression algorithm, based on the famous Lempel Ziv > - compression method. > - . > - The main characteristics of the algorithm are very good compression, > - fast decompression, use of lot of RAM for compression and low usage of > - RAM for decompression. > - . > - LZMA provides high compression ratio and very fast decompression, so it > - is very suitable for embedded applications. For example, it can be used > - for ROM (firmware) compression. Repetitive and poorly phrased (for a start, "use of lot of RAM" is ungrammatical). Try: > + The Lempel-Ziv Markov-chain Algorithm is a compression method based on > + the famous LZ77 algorithm, and was first introduced by 7-Zip for use in > + .7z archives. > + . > + Its main characteristics are a very high compression ratio, with high RAM > + usage, and fast decompression, with low RAM usage. These properties make > + it well suited to embedded uses, such as for ROM (firmware) compression. (And use this text as boilerplate in other package descriptions.) > - This package provides a gzip-like interface for the lzma program. > + This package provides the lzma command line utility, which has a > + familiar gzip-like interface. The package does _not_ provide an "interface for" the lzma program - it provides the lzma binary itself! > Package: lzma-dev [...] > -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program - development > files > +Description: LZMA compression - development files Changing all of the short descriptions to form a consistent set. Then the same boilerplate changes, ending with: > - This package contains the headers and libraries of lzma. It is > - experimental and will be replaced by the library as soon as it is > - available. > + This package provides headers and development libraries for lzma. It's far from obvious what "the library" was supposed to mean, but whatever it was, this description is misleading - if this package was "experimental" it shouldn't have been in Sid, never mind Lenny. Replace it with something accurate. > Package: lzma-source [...] > -Description: Source for the lzma kernel module > +Description: LZMA compression - Linux kernel module source Mention that we're talking Linux, not FreeBSD. [...boilerplate ditto...] > This package provides the source code for the lzma kernel modules. > - Kernel source and headers are required to compile these modules. > + Linux kernel source and headers are required to compile these modules. This individual package description already has a bugreport (#466582), but I'm treating mine as independent: even with my patch, the description for lzma-source could still easily be improved by input from somebody who understands what purpose it's supposed to serve (assuming this package still has a reason to exist). > Package: lzma-alone [...] > -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program > +Description: LZMA compression - legacy utility The original has a synopsis identical to that of lzma, which is deeply unhelpful. My suggested replacement is a bit of a stab in the dark; if you don't like it, please produce something better. [...boilerplate ditto...] > - This package provides the SDK based lzma_alone program. > + This package provides only the old lzma_alone compression utility, which > + has an interface more like that of zip. The current description is no help to a user wondering what lzma_alone is good for - they probably won't even know what SDK it's referring to. Besides (reading http://tukaani.org/lzma/history), both versions are "SDK based": lzma_alone was in LZMA-utils, and then lzma was based on lzma_alone. -- JBR Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
diff -ru lzma-4.43.pristine/debian/control lzma-4.43/debian/control --- lzma-4.43.pristine/debian/control 2009-07-03 20:14:56.000000000 +0100 +++ lzma-4.43/debian/control 2009-07-04 09:45:25.000000000 +0100 @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Maintainer: Mohammed Adnène Trojette <adn+...@diwi.org> Uploaders: Arnaud Fontaine <ar...@debian.org> Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 5.0.0), quilt, zlib1g-dev -Homepage: http://www.7-zip.org/sdk.htm +Homepage: http://www.7-zip.org/sdk.html Vcs-Git: git://git.debian.org/git/collab-maint/lzma.git Vcs-Browser: http://git.debian.org/?p=collab-maint/lzma.git;a=summary Standards-Version: 3.8.0 @@ -12,73 +12,60 @@ Package: lzma Architecture: any Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}, ${misc:Depends} -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program - LZMA is a compression algorithm, based on the famous Lempel Ziv - compression method. - . - The main characteristics of the algorithm are very good compression, - fast decompression, use of lot of RAM for compression and low usage of - RAM for decompression. - . - LZMA provides high compression ratio and very fast decompression, so it - is very suitable for embedded applications. For example, it can be used - for ROM (firmware) compression. +Description: LZMA compression - command line utility + The Lempel-Ziv Markov-chain Algorithm is a compression method based on + the famous LZ77 algorithm, and was first introduced by 7-Zip for use in + .7z archives. + . + Its main characteristics are a very high compression ratio, with high RAM + usage, and fast decompression, with low RAM usage. These properties make + it well suited to embedded uses, such as for ROM (firmware) compression. . - This package provides a gzip-like interface for the lzma program. + This package provides the lzma command line utility, which has a + familiar gzip-like interface. Package: lzma-dev Architecture: any Depends: zlib1g-dev -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program - development files - LZMA is a compression algorithm, based on the famous Lempel Ziv - compression method. - . - The main characteristics of the algorithm are very good compression, - fast decompression, use of lot of RAM for compression and low usage of - RAM for decompression. - . - LZMA provides high compression ratio and very fast decompression, so it - is very suitable for embedded applications. For example, it can be used - for ROM (firmware) compression. - . - This package contains the headers and libraries of lzma. It is - experimental and will be replaced by the library as soon as it is - available. - +Description: LZMA compression - development files + The Lempel-Ziv Markov-chain Algorithm is a compression method based on + the famous LZ77 algorithm, and was first introduced by 7-Zip for use in + .7z archives. + . + Its main characteristics are a very high compression ratio, with high RAM + usage, and fast decompression, with low RAM usage. These properties make + it well suited to embedded uses, such as for ROM (firmware) compression. + . + This package provides headers and development libraries for lzma. + Package: lzma-source Architecture: all Depends: module-assistant, debhelper (>> 4.0.0), bzip2, make, lzma-dev -Description: Source for the lzma kernel module - LZMA is a compression algorithm, based on the famous Lempel Ziv - compression method. - . - The main characteristics of the algorithm are very good compression, - fast decompression, use of lot of RAM for compression and low usage of - RAM for decompression. - . - LZMA provides high compression ratio and very fast decompression, so it - is very suitable for embedded applications. For example, it can be used - for ROM (firmware) compression. +Description: LZMA compression - Linux kernel module source + The Lempel-Ziv Markov-chain Algorithm is a compression method based on + the famous LZ77 algorithm, and was first introduced by 7-Zip for use in + .7z archives. + . + Its main characteristics are a very high compression ratio, with high RAM + usage, and fast decompression, with low RAM usage. These properties make + it well suited to embedded uses, such as for ROM (firmware) compression. . This package provides the source code for the lzma kernel modules. - Kernel source and headers are required to compile these modules. + Linux kernel source and headers are required to compile these modules. Package: lzma-alone Architecture: any Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}, ${misc:Depends} Conflicts: lzma (<< 4.43-13) Replaces: lzma (<< 4.43-13) -Description: Compression method of 7z format in 7-Zip program - LZMA is a compression algorithm, based on the famous Lempel Ziv - compression method. - . - The main characteristics of the algorithm are very good compression, - fast decompression, use of lot of RAM for compression and low usage of - RAM for decompression. - . - LZMA provides high compression ratio and very fast decompression, so it - is very suitable for embedded applications. For example, it can be used - for ROM (firmware) compression. +Description: LZMA compression - legacy utility + The Lempel-Ziv Markov-chain Algorithm is a compression method based on + the famous LZ77 algorithm, and was first introduced by 7-Zip for use in + .7z archives. + . + Its main characteristics are a very high compression ratio, with high RAM + usage, and fast decompression, with low RAM usage. These properties make + it well suited to embedded uses, such as for ROM (firmware) compression. . - This package provides the SDK based lzma_alone program. - + This package provides only the old lzma_alone compression utility, which + has an interface more like that of zip.
