Re: gnulib/README -> gnulib.texi

[Bruno Haible]

Hi Karl,

Karl Berry wrote:
> opinions on reducing the README to essentially a
> list of pointers with all the information in the manual?

There are 3 types of information about a software package:
  (1) Information for the users, on how to use the software.
  (2) Information for the users, on how to get in touch with the developers
      (community related stuff).
  (3) Information for the contributors (from coding style to design documents).

In my understanding,
  (1) belongs in the manual,
  (2) belongs in a "home page" on the web, and should be mostly duplicated
      in the README,
  (3) belongs in a wiki. And as long as Savannah does not offer wikis,
      we have to use other means, for example, a README-hacking.

What is your understanding where these 3 types of information should go?

> Someone asked me today about whether gnulib required C99.  I couldn't
> remember the answer for sure (which is "no" :)

The answer is "no, except for the 'fts' module which *does* require C99".

IMO the answer to this question is relevant to users, therefore belongs
in the manual, and the best place where to add it is the "Target Platforms"
section.

> It looks like there were several
> nontrivial sections in that 320-line README which are not in the manual.

Yes, the entire section "Contributing to Gnulib" should IMO be moved to
a README-hacking file. Paul, what do you think?

> As an example of what I mean, here is the 50-line README I constructed
> for a previous version of hello

I like your suggestion. IMO the sections "Gnulib", "git and CVS",
"Keeping Up-to-date" should stay in the README, and this contents should be
synched with http://www.gnu.org/software/gnulib/ . The section
"High Quality", on the other hand, should either go into README-hacking
or be reformulated for users and go into chapter 1 of the manual.

Patches welcome!

Bruno