{ Obviously I tried under mate and GNOME }

Add/Remove software says of it:
"Verbiste is a French conjugation system. It contains a C++ library, two programs that can be run from the command line or from another program, and a GNOME applet. This applet shows a text field in the GNOME Panel where the user can enter a conjugated verb and obtain its complete conjugation."

The Gnome applet bit is dicey, because Gnome no longer has a panel - but Mageia provides one (Tweaks Topicons extension)!

Installing just 'verbiste' provides:
 /usr/bin/french-conjugator
 /usr/bin/french-deconjugator
and only these two commands, not 'verbiste', are available.
Without a GUI, it would not have a menu entry anywhere, any desktop.

Installing verbiste-gtk adds:
 /usr/bin/verbiste
 /usr/bin/verbiste-gtk
and it *does* then become a menu item (under Office for Plasma at least). It works from the menu, and both these commands pop-up the GUI identically. [They are not one linked binary, but 2 almost identical ones]. All this works.

I will try it under Mate & Gnome as well.

CC: (none) => lewyssmith

Have tried it under both Gnome & Mate. It *is* in the menus (Office for Mate), and works under both; presumably all other desktops also.
I suspect, Dick, it was the need to install also verbiste-gtk which confused you. The clue in the man page is: "If the GTK+ application is installed, it can be run by typing verbiste-gtk" (although here, just 'verbiste' also).

Resolution: (none) => INVALID
Status: NEW => RESOLVED

So the manpage is misleading for verbiste only: it should require verbiste-gtk.

Mr Smith assumes everyone uses rpmdrake. I don't: if I want verbiste I do the obvious for me which is "urpmi verbiste". That does not give me verbiste but a confusing manpage is included.

So, to repeat: verbiste (with the manpage) should require verbiste-gtk or it becomes user unfriendly. The bug is therefor valid.

Status: RESOLVED => REOPENED
Resolution: INVALID => (none)

Dick
This is becoming ridiculous. You did not poke far. If you use urpmi (which I also do), you must know the package name(s) you want. (Curious that you knew verbiste). We often offer applications which have add-ons; the best way to know about those is Install Software, which shows you all that is available around your keyword.
I happen to use Claws-mail. Installed on its own, it lacks an important HTML add-on which you must install explicitly. Install Software shows them all; urpmi not.
Why do you not become a packager?

However, verbiste has a maintainer to whom I am assigning this. There is certainly some inconsistency between the packaging and the man page; but not in functionality.

Assignee: bugsquad => lmenut
Priority: Normal => Low
CC: lewyssmith => (none)

I stop the ridicule

Resolution: (none) => WORKSFORME
Status: REOPENED => RESOLVED