#1119067 wish: metapackages for helix-editor

Package:
hx
Source:
hx
Description:
modal CLI text editor Helix
Submitter:
Geert Stappers
Date:
2025-10-26 23:31:03 UTC
Severity:
normal
Tags:
#1119067#5
Date:
2025-10-26 13:35:33 UTC
From:
To:
Package: hx
Version: 25.07.1+~0.3.0+20250717-5
Severity: wishlist


Hello,


The "problem" this bugreport should solve
is https://tracker.debian.org/search?package_name=helix
reporting NOTHING.

( https://tracker.debian.org/search?package_name=hx
reports the package people are search for )


So for discoverbility I'm asking for two meta-packages.
One named 'helix-editor', the other one name 'helix'.
Both are "empty" and simular, they both depend on the `hx` package.

Their value is making `sudo apt install helix-editor` possible,
that https://tracker.debian.org/search?package_name=helix
or https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=helix
reports SOMETHING.
reporting NOTHING.


What are the opinions on the above idea?

I hope for a response like "It makes sense, please proceed".

Expressing something like "DON'T. The burden will be ...."
is also fine.



Groeten
Geert Stappers
DD
#1119067#10
Date:
2025-10-26 14:13:38 UTC
From:
To:
Why this wish for helix metapackes is nicely expressed
at https://www.reddit.com/r/HelixEditor/comments/1ofv4ua/comment/nlg61qk/

Quoting from that posting:

  I still thought it wasn't in Debian
  because searching for Helix doesn't show anything usually.



Groeten
Geert Stappers
DD
#1119067#15
Date:
2025-10-26 16:16:39 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Geert,

Quoting Geert Stappers (2025-10-26 15:13:38)

I wonder what approach to searching was used (but will admit that I
haven't bothered to read the referenced reddit thread).

Each of `apt search  helix` and `apt-cache search helix` and
`axi-cache search helix` has the hx package as a result.

I am not convinced that metapackages is a good instrument for
discoverability - indexing tools that take package descriptions into
account is a far better instrument for that purpose.

Please also see https://bugs.debian.org/1024683#38 and
https://bugs.debian.org/1024683#65 for my responses to arbuably related
requests.

 - Jonas
#1119067#22
Date:
2025-10-26 20:22:33 UTC
From:
To:
   ;-)


Hey Jonas,
Hello others that see this message,

For me it was the search form at the lower half
of https://packages.debian.org/


https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=helix&searchon=names&suite=stable§ion=all
has no hits.


https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=hx&searchon=names&suite=stable§ion=all
has many hits

Acknowledge.




Groeten
Geert Stappers
Who will prepare a patch proposal for discussion and laughter   :-)
#1119067#27
Date:
2025-10-26 23:29:25 UTC
From:
To:
Quoting Geert Stappers (2025-10-26 21:22:33)

https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=helix&searchon=all&suite=stable§ion=all
has many hits

So perhaps try convince the webmasters to have search form not set
"package names only" by default?

 - Jonas