trash-cli : Looking for a reviewer

[Tim Niemueller]

Patrice Dumas schrieb:
>> I also don't see a problem why binary in the package for which this
>> thread was initiated should be renamed. There is no trash command, it
>> provides functionality which clearly fits the name, so why the heck
>> should it be renamed? Just because someone might as well add such a
>> command later? It's like not using your roller skates to keep them in a
>> nice new condition, until you have grown out of them...
> 
> The issue is that many upstream don't care about using names that are
> not prone to future conflicts, and use generic names. In my opinion,
> generic names should be reserved to standardized programs (like
> sendmail, ls, ...). Upstream don't care and selfishly choose the name
> [...]

In general, I agree that a good naming scheme helps in keeping things
clean and simple. We should communicate this so that upcoming projects
choose wisely from the very beginning and can ask existing projects to
consider such a change. However, it is not the duty of an upstream
project to foresee any possible conflict or animosity in this regard.

I can understand that the trash tool chose that command name. It makes
sense, it's short and clear, and for a command line tool that's
something that makes users use it -- or not if done badly. It is likely
that if another application provides another trash command the
functionality will be equal or similar. Then it would be a matter for
the alternatives system to sort this out. In general this is the very
reason why the alternatives system is there. In case of the trash
command the thing that probably makes many feel uncomfortable is that
there is no such de-facto standard like sendmail, yet. And thus one
might bet on the wrong horse.

The allegation projects choose the name "selfishly" is besides the
point. An upstream project does not and should not have to please all or
even "only" the major distros. Again, if upstream projects act careful
and have this in mind, perfect, and let us encourage them to do so. But
now renaming it in a package and thus diverting only in this distro is
not a good idea.
In the case of player the name was chosen after a Shakespeare citation
(cf.
http://playerstage.sourceforge.net/wiki/Basic_FAQ#Why_are_Player_and_Stage_.28etc.29_so_named.3F)
which is related to the functionality of the programs. So saying they
chose it selfishly as if they did it to eliminate competition or
whatever doesn't sound convincing, and they definitely didn't want to
block media players or whatever I'm sure.

	Tim

-- 
    Tim Niemueller <tim at niemueller.de>      www.niemueller.de
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