- Yes
- No
- Sometimes
Context
I’ve used Markdown dialects for a few years across Discourse, GitHub, GitLab, Plume, WriteFreely, and Bugzilla, et cetera. However, solely as a markup language designed to be rendered.
Although I’ve never heard of its syntax being a problem in Discourse wikis, where the generally non-technical appear to be able to participate (and, consequently, read) without problem, I was recently told that some BRs that I considered to be very readable in plain-text format:
Example
SUMMARY
-------
Providing an HTTP[S] URI serving a `.flatpak` file to the `--local-filename` flag of `plasma-discover-6.3.2-1.fc41.x86_64` results in an error, despite it functioning with a `file:///` URI pointing to the same file (when stored locally). Considering that `flatpak-1.16.0-1.fc41.x86_64`, OSTW's `zypper`, and FC41's `dnf5-5.2.10.0-2.fc41.x86_64` all support HTTP URIs as arguments to their installation parameters, Discover should support this.
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
------------------
1. Install `plasma-discover-6.3.2-1.fc41.x86_64`.
2. Provide an HTTP[S] URI serving a `.flatpak` file to its `--local-filename`.
OBSERVED RESULT
---------------
If accessed via `firefox-136.0-2.fc41.x86_64`, I see a valid response:
> ~~~HTTP
> HTTP/2 200
> content-type: application/octet-stream
> last-modified: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:36:49 GMT
> etag: "0x8DC4184DE4008CC"
> server: Windows-Azure-Blob/1.0 Microsoft-HTTPAPI/2.0
> x-ms-request-id: 5af19293-b01e-003f-0239-9129f6000000
> x-ms-version: 2025-01-05
> x-ms-creation-time: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:36:49 GMT
> x-ms-blob-content-md5: zmnaghRa6M/tXsmxRbDXBg==
> x-ms-lease-status: unlocked
> x-ms-lease-state: available
> x-ms-blob-type: BlockBlob
> content-disposition: attachment; filename=naps2-7.4.0-linux-x64.flatpak
> x-ms-server-encrypted: true
> via: 1.1 varnish, 1.1 varnish
> fastly-restarts: 1
> accept-ranges: bytes
> date: Sun, 09 Mar 2025 21:31:56 GMT
> age: 328
> x-served-by: cache-iad-kcgs7200031-IAD, cache-lon420123-LON
> x-cache: MISS, HIT
> x-cache-hits: 0, 1
> x-timer: S1741555917.611357,VS0,VE1
> content-length: 20338640
> X-Firefox-Spdy: h2
> ~~~
However, if provided as an argument to the `--local-filename` flag, it errors:
> ~~~QML
> org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: OdrsReviewsBackend: Fetch ratings: false
> adding empty sources model QStandardItemModel(0x56493d02af10)
> qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/discover/qml/LoadingPage.qml:3:1: QML LoadingPage: Created graphical object was not placed in the graphics scene.
> qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/discover/qml/BrowsingPage.qml:17:1: QML BrowsingPage: Created graphical object was not placed in the graphics scene.
> KNSCore::ResultsStream(0x56493eeb82e0) Finishing KNSCore::StaticXmlProvider(0x7f735c014ad0) 0
> ~~~
EXPECTED RESULT
---------------
It should the same as it would if the file had been supplied via a `file://` URI.
SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
--------------------
1. ~~~sh
#!/usr/bin/env sh
kinfo
~~~
2. > ~~~YAML
> Operating System: Fedora Linux 41
> KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.2
> KDE Frameworks Version: 6.11.0
> Qt Version: 6.8.2
> Kernel Version: 6.13.5-200.fc41.x86_64 (64-bit)
> Graphics Platform: Wayland
> Processors: 12 × AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6-Core Processor
> Memory: 30.4 GiB of RAM
> Graphics Processor 1: AMD Radeon RX 5700
> Graphics Processor 2: AMD Radeon Graphics
> ~~~
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
----------------------
I expect that this isn't a matter of locality versus externality, since `file://` URIs support hostnames other than `localhost` (the default for `file:///`). Rather, it merely isn't yet designed to support alternative schemas. Considering that Dolphin utilises KIO to support myriad methods of acquiring content via HTTP[S], FTP[S], and WebDav, et cetera, Dolphin should be able to without reinventing much.
I've reported this to the PK backend, because I believe that this affects RPM files, too.
…were, in fact, not (at least, to some): [2]
I’m closing this bug report now because it’s practically unreadable due to the unnecessary formatting that isn’t rendered by Bugzilla. Writing bug reports this way makes them extremely taxing to read; please open new bug reports using human-readable formatting.
Query
Ignoring the specifics of that situation (unless they’re exceptional in a way that I’ve not recognised, which appears improbable, considering I merely utilised >
and `
):
- How many of the participants here actively utilise Markdown for plain text communication (presumably, in places where there is no markup syntax available)?
- How many (who do utilise it for either) consider it to be plain-text readable?
I ask because it’ll help me decide when to.