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Summary

Use rich weak dependencies to ensure automatic installation of language pack packages when specific locales are installed.

Owner

  • Name: Neal Gompa
  • Email: ngompa13@gmail.com

Resources

This will require efforts by packagers to update all the language pack packages to contain the necessary information for this to work.

Current status

  • Targeted release: Mageia 8
  • Last updated: 2020/03/03
  • Percentage of completion: 0%


Detailed Description

With the introduction of DNF in Mageia 6, we have a package manager that supports rich weak dependencies (a.k.a. boolean/conditional dependencies). For Mageia 8, we want to enable using this to ensure that language pack packages are auto-selected to be installed based on the locales installed on the computer. While this doesn't fix everything (the usage of %_install_langs has different behavior), it does make it better for software that does have language packages that map to locales on the system.

Why it would be good for Mageia to do it

Today, langpack installation is a bit strange in Mageia, depending on which package manager you're using.

If you're using urpmi, the installation of a program that requires a language pack package will trigger a query for the user to select one from a filtered list based on locale packages you have installed. This requires the user to be aware of which ones matter for them, and if they need more than one, they must install the others manually.

If you're using DNF or any graphical software installation tool, the solver will collect up the locale packages you have installed and use that to prioritize and filter to auto-select one. While the user doesn't have to select one, it might not be the right one on multi-locale systems. And again, if more than one is needed, then the user must install those manually.

By using rich weak dependencies, at least with DNF, dnfdragora, and PackageKit, that will ensure users get the expected experience for software in multi-locale systems without having to go back and figure out what to install.

Test case

To be determined...

Tasks

Software / Packages Dependencies

Nothing additional beyond what is done for the dependent feature.


What could disrupt development of this new feature

If the dependent feature can be completed in time or the language pack packages aren't modified to support this, this feature cannot be implemented.

Planning

The dependent feature needs to be approved and worked on to make this feature possible.

Contingency

If this fails to be ready for Mageia 8, then we continue with what we have and try again for Mageia 9.

Release Notes

The release notes should indicate that when using graphical software management tools or DNF, the experience with installing software with localizations is greatly improved. Installed locales will be used as inputs automatically to ensure software has the matching language support installed.

Documentation

Associated Bugs

Packager comments