Context

  1. A dispute about the status of menu systems in Debian, and the
     contents of policy, has been referred to the Committee.

  2. There are currently two menu systems in Debian: the
     freedesktop.org (.desktop file based) system, and the traditional
     Debian menu system.

  3. These two systems have, in general: different maintainers and
     proponents; often different users; different intended scopes (in
     the sense of what subset of packages in Debian should provide
     menu entries); a different emphasis.

  4. The two systems make different choices in response to the need
     for various technical tradeoffs.  The traditional Debian menu is
     less feature rich, but is easier for a menu consumer.

  Philosophy

  5. Where feasible, there should be room in Debian for competing
     implementations of similar functionality; especially when they
     have different but overlapping sets of goals.  The contributors
     to each should be enabled to do their work, so long as the cost
     for the project as a whole is reasonable.

  Conclusions

  6. Both menu systems should be documented in policy.

  7. The documentation for each menu system (specifying file formats,
     when to include a menu entry, etc.) should follow the views of
     Debian's experts on, and contributors to, each system.

  8. Lack of an entry in one or other menu system, where that system's
     scope calls for an entry to be provided, is a bug.  But it is not
     a release critical bug.

  9. A maintainer should not be criticised for providing a package
     without doing the work to provide all the applicable menu
     entries.  However, a maintainer who is offered a reasonable patch
     should accept it.

  10. We request that the policy team implement this decision.  We
     leave the specific details of the wording to the policy team.