[Bug 1180899] Re: Update list hides important details

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

Just as you have confused the package name with the actual name, you
also seem to be confusing the synopsis with the description as a whole.
You claim that a package description is "the phrase with which a package
introduces itself", with an implicit "I am a/an" in front of it.
Presumably you meant the synopsis, not the whole description; but
regardless, I see no evidence for that anthropomorphism.

You also claim that "the description extends on the package name and
does not (and need not) make sense without it". But that is directly
contradicted by the policy: "in many situations the user may only see
the synopsis line - make it as informative as you can". That is
precisely the case here: the synopsis is all Software Updater shows by
default.

Now, if Debian policy prohibited (1) the package name from being the
actual name (as it often does), (2) the synopsis from including anything
similar to the package name, and (3) any separate standard field from
containing the actual name, then the policy would be perverse. The only
way for the software's real name to appear in a software listing would
be to ensure that the package name was substantially different from the
real name, just so that the real name could be included in the synopsis!
To return to the Bazaar example, the Bazaar package could have the
synopsis "Bazaar version control system" if its package name was "bzr",
but not if its package name was "bazaar".

Fortunately it's not the policy being perverse, just lintian. The
synopsis aready does include the actual name in the X.Org X WIndow
System and JACK Audio Connection Kit examples I gave.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1180899

Title:
  Update list hides important details

Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Since Ubuntu Raring, update-manager no longer shows any useful
  information by default. I click the Update Manager icon in the
  indicator area, select “Show updates”, it shows a list of application
  names and “Xubuntu base”, with download size in the right-hand column.
  To see exact package names and changelogs, I have to expand the
  “Xubuntu base” node, expand the “Technical description” area and click
  through each package.

  This new display format is a regression for me. In Precise, the list
  was flat and displayed application names (package descriptions),
  package names and download size, all in the main list, which only
  required me to scroll through to see the list of updates and quickly
  decide if I want to update now or defer until a more convenient
  moment; in the new version, I am confused by multiple packages that
  have identical descriptions.

  As a user familiar with package naming conventions, I would like to
  see the package names and possibly versions (both installed and
  available), in the list of updates. On the other hand, the download
  size of each individual package is of low importance to me, as I have
  a fast and unlimited Internet connection.

  I therefore suggest that the list of columns should be configurable
  (even if via dconf-editor only), and that columns be added for package
  name, installed version and available version.

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