Package: dash
Version: 0.5.5.1-2.3
Severity: wishlist
Tags: patch
Dash has the following description:
> Description: POSIX-compliant shell
> The Debian Almquist Shell (dash) is a lightweight POSIX-compliant shell
> derived from ash.
> .
> It can be usefully installed as /bin/sh (because it executes scripts
> faster than bash), or as the default shell for the superuser. It
> depends on fewer libraries than bash, and is therefore less likely to
> be affected by an upgrade problem or a disk failure. It is also
> useful for checking the POSIX compliance of scripts.
That was a good summary of its status in Lenny (itself an update
from the version in Etch), but it doesn't really fit its current
status as an Essential package. My suggestion would be:
Description: lightweight standard shell
The Debian Almquist Shell (dash) is a POSIX-compliant shell derived
from ash.
.
Since it executes scripts faster than bash, and has fewer library
dependencies (making it more robust against software or hardware
failures), it is used as the default system shell on Debian systems.
(But obviously, feel free to throw out my version if you've got
better ideas.)
By the way, while I'm looking at the control file: ash was already a
transition package in Sarge, and Woody-to-Squeeze upgrades aren't
supported, so isn't it about time it was retired?
--
JBR
Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
diff -ur dash-0.5.5.1.pristine/debian/control dash-0.5.5.1/debian/control
--- dash-0.5.5.1.pristine/debian/control 2009-09-12 22:19:11.000000000 +0100
+++ dash-0.5.5.1/debian/control 2009-09-12 22:30:40.000000000 +0100
@@ -13,15 +13,13 @@
Priority: required
Pre-Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}
Depends: debianutils (>= 2.15), dpkg (>= 1.15.0)
-Description: POSIX-compliant shell
- The Debian Almquist Shell (dash) is a lightweight POSIX-compliant shell
- derived from ash.
+Description: lightweight standard shell
+ The Debian Almquist Shell (dash) is a POSIX-compliant shell derived
+ from ash.
.
- It can be usefully installed as /bin/sh (because it executes scripts
- faster than bash), or as the default shell for the superuser. It
- depends on fewer libraries than bash, and is therefore less likely to
- be affected by an upgrade problem or a disk failure. It is also
- useful for checking the POSIX compliance of scripts.
+ Since it executes scripts faster than bash, and has fewer library
+ dependencies (making it more robust against software or hardware
+ failures), it is used as the default system shell on Debian systems.
Package: ash
Architecture: all
