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Date:      Tue, 16 May 2006 13:20:28 -0400
From:      J <jsunx1@bellsouth.net>
To:        freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: New category - ports/packages specific tools?
Message-ID:  <20060516172028.GA12500@brokedownpalace>
In-Reply-To: <20060516124509.GC59051@iib.unsam.edu.ar>
References:  <20060515222815.GA2535@picobyte.net> <20060516124509.GC59051@iib.unsam.edu.ar>

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On 2006-05-16 (Tue) 09:45:09 [+0000], Fernan Aguero wrote:
> +----[ Shaun Amott <shaun@inerd.com> (15.May.2006 20:10):
> |
> | There are lots of nifty tools in ports for handling ports and packages.
> | It would be nice if they were all in one, easy to find place.
> | 
> | I think there are enough of these kind of ports to warrant a new
> | category. What does everyone think about this?
> | 
> | I'm not sure on a name yet -- "freebsd", "ports", "tools", and
> | "portutils" are my initial ideas.
> 
> I like the proposed ports-mgmt and portutils.
> 
Hi. First post to a *BSD list. Not sure it's appropriate, but perhaps a
new user viewpoint is applicable here (and I have to start somewhere).

Like many others, I favor reducing the number of categories, starting
with the small ones (though a few, like devel could profitably be split
because there are over 2000 items). And of course a sense of a sensible
minimum for consideration makes sense, but I don't think it should be a
rigid numerical cutoff. A category like this is so (retrospectively)
obvious, logical, and seems so beneficial that it seems a shoe-in. Also,
since it's most helpful to new users, I don't think a virtual category
would be so good. As mentioned, patching the various documents to
explain virtual categories better would be a first step there.

As far as adding to the list, some port management tools that don't have
port in their names have been added in this thread, but I believe one is
still missing. Some tool's home page explicitly states (tongue-in-cheek)
that what sets it apart from other ports management tools is that it
doesn't have 'port' in the name. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it
is and STFW turned up nothing. (A good reason *to* have port in the
name. :) )

Finally, I like portutils or something like that. Ports-mgmt is good -
consistent, clear, etc., but I'd dodge a hyphen and a disemvowelment
when a compound and general truncation will do. It's a stretch but
'mgmt' may not be immediately obvious to all, especially to the very new
and to people whose first language isn't English.

-J




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