Hi Francesco, On Sun, Apr 07, 2013 at 07:22:27PM +0200, Francesco Poli wrote [edited]: > On Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:09:43 +0100 Serafeim Zanikolas wrote: > The current apt-listbugs text user interface displays the bugs that > affect the installation/upgrade and then offers the user the following > possible choices: > * go on > * go on and permanently mark the bugs as ignored > * stop everything > * display one bug log > * pin some or all the packages > * mark a bug as ignored > * open a browser to display one bug log > > How can we do something similar via debconf without forcing the user to > go through a tree of multiple successive screens (that would feel like > a horrible call center menu system: "dial 1 to learn about our > fantastic promotional offers, dial 2 to receive commercial > assistance, ...")?
I care about implementing the two basic use cases (newbie & advanced) in the simplest possible interaction using debconf -- to ease integration with higher-level programs, so that Debian testing users (read: Desktop users that normally don't use a terminal) can benefit from latest updates while avoiding RC bugs. The rest of the choices are secondary for these two specific use cases. Newbies wouldn't even see the debconf screen and advanced users know how to lookup a bug report given its number. You've made it clear that you care about preserving all current choices. I don't agree, but I sense that a debate would be pointless, so that leaves us with one choice: default to the current (feature rich, terminal-based) interaction mode, and support the (simple & scriptable) debconf one as an option eg. via an environment variable. > > Going forward from here, one possibility would be for the apt-listbugs ruby > > script to invoke the debconf script (passing on the package/bug num/bug > > title > > info and getting back the user reply, via a tempfile or something along > > those > > lines). > > To be frank, I am not too enthusiastic about the idea to let a Ruby > program invoke a POSIX shell script in order to get a user interface... You get a bit more than a user interface: an implementation of the debconf protocol. > If we have to implement a debconf interface for apt-listbugs, I would > strongly prefer that it be done directly in Ruby. Sure, in a world of infinite available time we'd all prefer that. In reality, I'd go for the least amount of work which is a shell script, and I expect you to accept such a patch if it works as advertised. You are, of course, most welcome to put in the extra effort to implement a ruby debconf library. cheers, sez -- Every great idea is worthless without someone to do the work. --Neil Williams -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
