#600425 cdebconf: text frontend for selection isn't documented enough

Package:
cdebconf
Source:
cdebconf
Description:
Debian Configuration Management System (C-implementation)
Submitter:
Samuel Thibault
Date:
2010-10-19 09:54:06 UTC
Severity:
normal
#600425#5
Date:
2010-10-17 01:59:10 UTC
From:
To:
Hello,

When using the text frontend for e.g. tasksel, the way to select items
is really clear: what is displayed is

Choose software to install:
 1. Graphical desktop environment 5. File server 9. Laptop
 2. Web server 6. Mail server 10. Standard system utilities [*]
 3. Print server 7. SQL database
 4. DNS server 8. SSH server
Prompt: '?' for help, default 10

'?' gives

KEYSTROKES:
 ? Display this help message
 ! Select an empty entry

This doesn't explain how to select several items at a time.

Samuel
#600425#10
Date:
2010-10-18 21:48:48 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

i tried to reproduce it, i booted with DEBIAN_FRONTEND=text but everytime i
get:

Prompt '?' for help, default=1 10>

tasks 1 and 10 selected by default.
After entering 8 9 10 at the prompt d-i installed the 3 tasks.

As the default suggests tasks are entered separated by spaces.
Mentioning that in the help would, indeed, be an improvement.

Wishlist?
#600425#15
Date:
2010-10-18 22:16:43 UTC
From:
To:
Miguel Figueiredo, le Mon 18 Oct 2010 22:48:48 +0100, a écrit :
For instance, if you boot in export mode you will get the "additional
locales" question, where the issue is the same (and the default is
empty).  Of course that's just an instance, there are probably a lot
others.

Just a side note: this is actually a bug concerning accessibility, for
the cases where a linear text is way simpler for the screen reader to
follow, and thus using the dialog frontend is not really an option.

Samuel
#600425#20
Date:
2010-10-18 22:59:31 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

untested, probably/surely incomplete and not working, just as an exercise:

===================================================================
--- debian/cdebconf-text-udeb.templates	(revision 65058)
+++ debian/cdebconf-text-udeb.templates	(working copy)
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@
 # :sl4:
 _Description: Prompt: '%c' for help, default=%s>

+Template: debconf/text-prompt-default-multiselect
+Type: text
+# :sl4:
+_Description: Prompt: '%c' for help, default=%s, multiple choices separated
by spaces>
+
 Template: debconf/cont-prompt
 Type: text
 # :sl4:


Index: src/modules/frontend/text/text.c
===================================================================
--- src/modules/frontend/text/text.c	(revision 65058)
+++ src/modules/frontend/text/text.c	(working copy)
@@ -432,8 +432,8 @@

   DISPLAY:
 	printlist (obj, q, count, choices_translated, tindex, selected);
-	printf(question_get_text(obj, "debconf/text-prompt-default-string",
-		"Prompt: '%c' for help, default=%s> "), CHAR_HELP, defval);
+	printf(question_get_text(obj, "debconf/text-prompt-default-multiselect",
+		"Prompt: '%c' for help, default=%s, multiple choices separated by
spaces> "), CHAR_HELP, defval);
 	get_answer(answer, sizeof(answer));
 	if (answer[0] == CHAR_HELP && answer[1] == 0)
 	{

What is missing? THe message needs to be added also to a .pot?
#600425#25
Date:
2010-10-19 09:49:52 UTC
From:
To:
Miguel Figueiredo, le Mon 18 Oct 2010 23:59:31 +0100, a écrit :

AIUI, that's done by running debconf-updatepo from debian/

Samuel