[sword-devel] modules for debian

[Ben Armstrong]

On Mon, Jan 29, 2001 at 04:18:28PM +0000, Trevor Jenkins wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jan 2001, Daniel Glassey <danglassey@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > I'm trying to sort out exactly which modules would be considered as 
> > core and would be necessary for a base install of sword. Not every 
> > module can be in Debian, just a few, so we need to decide which 
> > ones.
> 
> I don't understand the reason for the Debian restriction. Some general
> licencing with the modules' material or a Debianism? What about other
> Linux distributions, e.g. RedHat, Mandrake, SuSE; subject to the same
> restrictions?

Sheer size.  If/when the proposed (and as far as I know, approved in
principle) "data" section is implemented, it is a problem to have multiple
gigabytes of data added to Debian.  We (Debian) are mirrored liberally
around the world and cannot just dump tons of data into the main archive
without providing a mechanism for making partial mirrors that omit the
added bloat practical. 

> > These are my thoughts:
> 
> I have radically different thoughts
> 
> > KJV - it's standard (~2.2MB, less without Strongs ref.)
> > 1 more modern translation - WEB (~1.4MB)
> 
> The AV I can livest without thank thee muchly. Certainly a readable modern
> translation should be core. Personally I'd like the CEV failing that the
> NLT or the NET(*). Maybe the ISV or GW.

The reason the KJV is helpful is Strong's.  The suggestion that the KJV
*and* a more modern translation should be included is, in my opinion, a
very sensible one, if only because it allows the user to explore the full
capabilities of sword.  Besides, the user gets to choose whether one or
the other or both texts are installed, as I explain below. 

> That is a translation is mandatory but nothing else. I don't think one
> should specify which translation is core. Just that at least one must be
> present for correct insttallation and operation. I might, for example,
> only want a Swedish translation without any English text at all.

Well, that could easily be accomplished with alternatives specified in
libsword's dependencies.  One translation will appear as the default but
the user may opt to install one of the alternatives, e.g. 

Depends: sword-module-kjv | sword-module-web | sword-module-swedish

(The package names above are for illustration purposes only. I'm not
suggesting that they are good names :)

Or this could even be expressed in terms of a "virtual package".  That is,
each package that provides a bible text would have "Provides: 
sword-bible-text" and then Dan would list in the libsword package:

Depends: sword-module-kjv | sword-bible-text

Both arrangements would make libsword install KJV by default, but would
allow the user to override this by choosing a different Bible text
instead.

> The following are essential "nice to haves" but certainly shouldn't be
> considered "core" modules.
> 
> > 1 commentary - Matthew Henry Concise (~1.4MB)
> > Strongs references - Standard greek and Hebrew references (~800k)
> > Dictionary - Eastons or Naves or both (~1MB and ~700k)

I think "core" is the wrong term.  "Core" suggests "stuff that libsword
needs to work properly".  It seems what we are looking for is a usable
enough sampling of the modules available for sword that the package could
be used with what Debian alone provides quite successfully by most
(English-speaking) people.  It gives the user an idea of what sword is
capable of without having to provide every single module within Debian.
Basically, the stuff that goes on this list will come off the Debian CD
and anything else the user will have to haul off the Internet or order a
sword text CD for.  None of the additional modules other than the Bible
text itself need to be considered a "Depends" for libsword.  They could
all simply be listed as "Suggests" which will list all of the modules that
Dan will package.  The "apt-get" tool does not do anything with
"Suggests".  Only those using a front-end like dselect will ever see the
suggested additional modules, and none of the suggestions are enforced by
the front-end.  They are presented merely as optional extra stuff that the
user may select if desired.

Ben
-- 
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