tasksel/tasks

Files in this directory with lowercase filenames contain descriptions of
verious general tasks a user might want to perform with a Debian system,
lists of packages that they might use to perform the tasks, and grouping
information to make related sets of tasks appear together.

The file format is a rfc-822 style stanza, with fields named Task, Section,
Description (which should include an extended descrition), Key, and
Packages. The Packages field should include the list of packages one per
line after it, indented by one space each, like so:

Packages:
 foo
 bar
 baz
 ...

When the task is selected, any of those packages that are available will be
selected.

The Key field is the same, but packages listed in it must be available or
the task should not be displayed at all. There's no need to list packages
in the Packages field if they are listed as Key.

Comments may appear in the file, by prefixing a line with a hash mark
('#').

Care should be taken when adding new tasks to ensure that the new task
is suitably generic -- it should be something of value to a large number
(at least 10%) of our users. It must not perform the same general purpose
as some other existing task. It must contain packages that are the ones in
most common use, and software that is of the best perceived quality.

Packages listed for different tasks (and within a single task)
should not conflict, or the results will be rather arbitrary.

Packages that are only available on some architectures, or that may not
be available on the user's installation media may still be listed. This 
is no problem, they are simply ignored in those cases. Take care listing
such packages as Key however.

List only real packages, not virtual packages.

Users are given the opportunity to drill down and select/unselect
individual packages; the tasks they select only serve as a starting
point. So err on the side of listing too many packages, rather than too
few (but don't go overboard, since many users will not bother with
package-level selection at first).

Keep short descriptions short -- very short -- and to the point. Do not
include details about what individual packages a task includes, tasksel
will do that for you.

If a task is important enough that it should go near the top of its
section, give it a relevance of 9 or 10. If a task is not likely to be
used, give it a relevance of 1. Default is 5. (Low relevance tasks are also
candidates for removal..)

Debian developers aside from the tasksel maintenance team may take over
maintenance of tasks. Talk with the tasksel developers first, and then put
your name in a Maintainer field in the task file you're maintaining.

Note that while you may put non-free or contrib packages in tasks, they
will not propagate out to the Task fields in the Packages files in the
Debian archive.