[packagekit] backend functionality request

[Matthias Klumpp]

2014/1/7 Richard Hughes <hughsient at gmail.com>:
> On 7 January 2014 12:32, Wendell MacKenzie <mackendw at gmail.com> wrote:
>>    Would it be possible to add the ability into the backend of PackageKit so
>> that it implements the ability to return a given packages change log
>> history?  An extension to the Selection menu in gpk-application would use
>> this and present the results similar to the manner in which getfiles request
>> does.
>
> I think this might be useful for tech users, but I don't think the
> ChangeLog format is descriptive enough as an abstraction, for
> instance:
>
> * What format is the date? What timezone is it? UTC?
> * What is the presentation format? e.g. markdown?
> * How do we specify how many entries to return? By date / by number?
> * Do we specify the user responsible for the change? Do we include the
> email address?
> * Do we return automatic / cosmetic changes?
>
> I also don't know if this kind of data is available for debian-derived
> distros, although is available for rpm-based distros as it's in the
> rpmdb. I think just showing an unformatted ChangeLog entry in a GUI is
> going to look aweful for lot of tools.
Debian supports all of this (Debian changelogs are written in Markdown)
See http://ftp-master.metadata.debian.org/changelogs//main/g/gnome-packagekit/gnome-packagekit_3.10.1-1_changelog
for an example.
All Debian changelogs have to be in this format, which is human- and
machine-readable.
Cheers,
    Matthias

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