Please consider interacting with translators when introducing/modifying new debconf templates

[Thomas Koch]

Hallo Christian,

I'm sorry, if I didn't follow the process as required. It's the first time I 
use debconf and there are so many things one has to learn, that's very hard 
not to miss anything.
However I'd suggest not to bother translating hadoop at this time since it'll 
surely take until squeeze+1 to get everything perfect.
Is there any way I could indicate that this package doesn't need translation 
at this time?

Best regards,

Thomas Koch

Christian PERRIER:
> Hello,
> 
> I just noticed new or modified debconf templates appearing for this
> package.
> 
> I would like to suggest you to consider calling for debconf templates
> review AND translation updates when you introduce new debconf
> templates or modify the existing templates in a package or, if you
> prefer, to send a call for translations after uploading the first
> version that introduces new templates or templates changes.
> 
> This will be picked up by the debian-i18n contributors for your
> package *this time*, but please read the following for future
> reference.
> 
> 
> 1) Get your debconf templates reviewed
> --------------------------------------
> 
> The Debian i18n contributors have developed a set of suggestions for
> the writing style of debconf templates, to give them an overall
> consistency all around Debian. These writing style suggestions are
> explained in the Developers Reference. Lintian also warns about common
> writing style concerns.
> 
> You should anyway consider asking in
> debian-l10n-english at lists.debian.org for a review of your debconf
> templates. This should be done by sending the original templates
> file(s), which are generally named debian/*templates to
> debian-l10n-english at lists.debian.org.
> 
> It is suggested that you use a Subject field that the
> debian-l10n-english participants have normalized, namely:
> Subject: [TAF] templates://<package>/<templates file(s) name(s)>
> 
> Replace "<package>" by you package name and "<templates file(s)
> name(s)>" by the name of your templates file.
> 
> Someone will pick up  the review to do, handle it, and finally send
> you a bug report with the suggested templates. If you want, you can
> ask for being CC'ed to the various discussions when the templates are
>  reviewed.
> 
> 
> 2) Install po-debconf
> ---------------------
> 
> If you test-build your package on your system, you shoud already have
> it. Otherwise, consider apt-get installing it.
> 
> it will bring the needed utility.
> 
> 3) Call for new translations
> ----------------------------
> 
> As soon as the templates have been reviewed, you can ask Debian
> translators for new translations:
> 
> Just go to your package's build tree and use:
> 
> $ podebconf-report-po --call
> 
> This will propose you a generic mail which is to be sent to
> debian-i18n at lists.debian.org and call for new translations.
> 
> This utility will mention existing translations to avoid duplicate
> work.
> 
> It will also attach the needed material to this mail.
> 
> Please also think about giving a deadline to translators. We like
> deadlines..:-)
> 
> 4) Always call for translation updates before uploading
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> (of course only when you change the debconf templates!)
> 
> If your package already includes debconf translations (ie *.po files
> in debian/po), please consider calling for translation updates if you
> happen to change something in the templates...or just in case when you
> release a new version.
> 
> This is done with the following command:
> 
> $ podebconf-report-po
> 
> This will build private mails to translators (ie people listed in
> "Last-Translator" in the PO files) for translations that are
> incomplete. These mails will included the needed PO file for each
> translator.
> 

Thomas Koch, http://www.koch.ro