>> However, documenting minor changes may mean that the larger and more >> important changes that we want people to know would really be 'lost >> in the crowd', so to speak. I would say, use your good judgement :) > > This is my concern too. If the package changelog documents > purely-internal changes as well as user-visible changes, it becomes > far too verbose for users.
So, what should I write in changelog if I did only internal changes? nothing? that's wrong! I think you should contact more DDs (I'm not, yet) and ask what they think: NONE of them ever complained about my changelog (they usually request to be more verbose than less), and I do believe they are right. > Better that the changelog documents only changes that are > user-visible, so that the binary package contains a changelog that is > of use to the user. If a user what to read something, he/she have to do it carefully, and even internal or "external" changes could be important for him/her, mainly because reportbug has a widespread user audience, with many user interested in low-level changes too (or would you discriminate them?) >> > for sure there is a need to document them (consider a new >> > developer stepping in and wanted to know when a file has changed >> > and why), hence debian/changelog it the best place to do it. >> >> For this, I think svn log of the file is the best source. Also, >> usually all the files (and the content of those files) that changed >> for a given fix or a modification is of greater importance. > > Yes. The new developer should be using the VCS log history to become > familiar with the flow of changes to the source, *and* the package > changelog to see what user-visible changes have been occurring. The > former is far too much information for end-users, though, so should > not go into the package changelog. Again, that's wrong! moreover, if that would be in a license, that would fail the "desert island" test, hence it would fail DFSG. *I* will continue with what I think it's the right way to write debian/changelog (supported by many DDs and moreover by policy), of course you are free to do what's best for you to get the work done. That's all IMVHO, Sandro -- Sandro Tosi (aka morph, Morpheus, matrixhasu) My website: http://matrixhasu.altervista.org/ Me at Debian: http://wiki.debian.org/SandroTosi _______________________________________________ Reportbug-maint mailing list [email protected] http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/reportbug-maint
