version 4.6.2.0
Copyright © 1999 Chris Waters, Joey Hess, Joost Witteveen
These are the copyright dates of the original Debian Menu sub-policy. Since then, this document has been updated by many others. No comprehensive collection of copyright notices for subsequent work exists.
This manual is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as
/usr/share/common-licenses/GPL in the Debian
distribution or on the World Wide Web at https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
2022-12-17
Abstract
This manual describes the policy requirements for the Menu system used in the Debian distribution. This document is part of the policy package for Debian.
Table of Contents
This document is distributed as the menu-policy
files in the Debian package debian-policy.
It is also available from the Debian web mirrors at https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/menu-policy/.
This document has been extracted and separated from the Menu package to:
Increase the visibility of the Menu sub policy
Reduce the coupling between policy and implementation. If this separation is not made, every time we want to change menu policy, we have to arrange to get the maintainer to release a new version of the package, even if the package has not otherwise changed. It also involves yet another layer, making the policy changes that much harder to implement.
The debian-policy mailing list has taken responsibility for the contents of this document, with the Menu package maintainer's responsible for packaging administrivia only.
Table of Contents
If you have a package which doesn't fit within the existing menu hierarchy, please bring it up on the debian-devel mailing list. If you have other proposals for changing the menu hierarchy, or making other changes to menu policy, please bring it up on debian-policy.
Here is the authoritative list of Debian's menu structure. Packages must be placed in leaf sections.
Normal applications
Tools to aid people with disabilities or for machines lacking usual input devices.
Examples: gok, yasr, dasher.
Anything relating to HAM radio.
Examples: baken, hamsoft, twlog
Interactive database programs, collection managers, address books, bibliography tools, etc.
gaby, alexandria, mdbtools
Editors, other than office word processors, for text-based information.
Examples: ksubtile, nano, hexedit
Educational and training softwares.
Examples: gtypist, gcompris, quiz
Software that allows you to run non-native software or more than one OS at a time.
Examples: wine, dosemu, qemu
Tools for file management, archiving, searching, CD/DVD burning, backup, etc.
Examples: file-roller, mc, baobab
2D and 3D graphics manipulation software.
Examples: gimp, inkscape, imagemagick
Software that allows you to interface with mobile devices (phones, PDAs, etc.).
Examples: kandy, gnokii, gnome-pilot
Network related software. This is a three-level section, do not put entries directly here.
Mail, USENET news, chat, instant messaging, IP telephony, video conferencing software, etc.
Examples: xchat, gaim, mutt
File transfer software such as download managers, FTP clients, P2P clients, etc.
Examples: amule, gftp, d4x
Network monitoring software
Examples: gip, ettercap, iptstate
Web browsers, tools for offline browsing, etc.
Examples: elinks, epiphany-browser, webhttrack
Web feed (RSS, Atom, etc.) and podcast aggregators.
Examples: akregator, kitty, liferea
Office suites, word processors, spreadsheets, CRM, ERP, financial software, etc.
Examples: openoffice.org, tinyerp-client, gnucash
IDEs, debuggers, etc.
Examples: anjuta, gdb, eclipse
Timetable managers, group task trackers, bug tracking software, etc.
Examples: planner, bugzilla, gnotime
Scientific and engineering-related software.
Astronomy-related software.
Examples: celestia, spacechart, stellarium
Biology-related software.
Examples: arb, ncbi-tools-x11, seaview
Chemistry-related software.
Examples: chemtool, kalzium, xdrawchem
Software designed for processing, extracting, and presenting generic scientific data.
Examples: fityk, ygraph, mn-fit
Circuit design tools, simulators and assemblers for microprocessors, etc
Examples: geda, gnucap, tkgate
CAD, UML tools, diagram-drawing and other engineering-related software.
Examples: tcm, dia, qcad
Geoscience-related software.
Examples: earth3d, qgis, therion
Mathematics-related software.
Examples: gcalctool, snappea, xeukleides
Medicine-related software.
Examples: mssstest, gnumed-client, xmedcon
Physics-related software.
Examples: kxterm, ifrit, paw
Social sciences-related software.
Examples: gnomesword, hanzim, bibletime
Various shells to be used inside a terminal emulator.
Examples: bash, ksh, zsh
Sound players, editors, and rippers/recorders.
Examples: beep-media-player, grip, audacity
System related software.
Administrative and system configuration utilities, also tools for personal user settings.
Examples: gnome-control-center, configure-debian, gksu
Tools for manipulating specific hardware, especially non-standard laptop hardware.
Examples: toshutils, nvclock-gtk, nvtv
This section is reserved for language-env as a special case.
System information and monitoring tools, log viewers, etc.
Examples: top, hal-device-manager, gtkdiskfree
Package managers and related tools.
Examples: aptitude, deborphan, smartpm
Security, cryptography and privacy related software, antiviruses, tools to track and report bugs, etc.
Examples: gpgkeys, bastille, avscan
Graphical terminal emulators.
Examples: xterm, gnome-terminal, rxvt
Text oriented tools like dictionaries, OCR, translation, text analysis software, etc.
Examples: kdrill, stardict, turkey
TV-in, TV-out, FM radio, teletext browsers, etc.
Examples: gradio, gatos, alevt
Software for viewing images, documents and other (non-video) media.
Examples: gqview, evince, gthumb
Video players, editors, and rippers/recorders.
Examples: istanbul, totem, kino
Software for web site editing, web programming, and site administration.
Examples: bluefish, screem, gphpedit
Games and recreations
Games that involve a lot of action and require fast reflexes.
Examples: xsoldier, supertux, xmoto
Role playing and adventure games, interactive movies and stories, etc.
Examples: beneath-a-steel-sky, egoboo, kq
Tetris-like games involving falling blocks.
Examples: crack-attack, frozen-bubble, netris
Games played on a board.
Examples: phalanx, xshogi, xboard
Games involving a deck of cards.
Examples: pysol, ace-of-penguins, xpat2
Tests of ingenuity and logic.
Examples: xmpuzzles, sgt-puzzles, enigma
Simulations of the real world in all detail and complexity.
Examples: flightgear, torcs
Games involving long-term strategic thinking.
Examples: wesnoth, widelands, netpanzer
Server browsers, configurators, editors, and other game-related tools that are not games themselves.
Examples: xqf, crystalspace
Amusements, eye-candy, entertaining demos, screen hacks (screensavers), etc.
Examples: xdesktopwaves, xphoon, xpenguins
programs that provide user documentation
Examples: debian-reference, apt-howto, dhelp
Programs that affect the whole screen.
Tools for blanking the screen. Entries of screen hacks and configuration GUIs should go to other appropriate sections.
Examples: xscreensaver, xlockmore
Tools for locking the screen.
Examples: xscreensaver, xlockmore
X window managers.
Examples: fluxbox, metacity, waimea
FVWM-based window manager modules. As only modules related to the running window-manager are displayed, do not create subsections for specific window-managers.
Examples: fvwm, fvwm-gnome, fvwm95
This section is reserved for wmaker as a special case.
All wmaker specific entries must go here.