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.
2.1. Preferred menu structure
Here is the authoritative list of Debian's menu structure.
Packages must be placed in leaf sections.
Applications
Normal applications
Applications/Accessibility
Tools to aid people with disabilities or for machines
lacking usual input devices.
Examples: gok, yasr, dasher.
Applications/Amateur Radio
Anything relating to HAM radio.
Examples: baken, hamsoft, twlog
Applications/Data Management
Interactive database programs, collection managers,
address books, bibliography tools, etc.
gaby, alexandria, mdbtools
Applications/Editors
Editors, other than office word processors, for
text-based information.
Examples: ksubtile, nano, hexedit
Applications/Education
Educational and training softwares.
Examples: gtypist, gcompris, quiz
Applications/Emulators
Software that allows you to run non-native software or
more than one OS at a time.
Examples: wine, dosemu, qemu
Applications/File Management
Tools for file management, archiving, searching,
CD/DVD burning, backup, etc.
Examples: file-roller, mc, baobab
Applications/Graphics
2D and 3D graphics manipulation software.
Examples: gimp, inkscape, imagemagick
Applications/Mobile Devices
Software that allows you to interface with mobile
devices (phones, PDAs, etc.).
Examples: kandy, gnokii, gnome-pilot
Applications/Network
Network related software. This is a three-level
section, do not put entries directly here.
Applications/Network/Communication
Mail, USENET news, chat, instant messaging, IP
telephony, video conferencing software, etc.
Examples: xchat, gaim, mutt
Applications/Network/File Transfer
File transfer software such as download
managers, FTP clients, P2P clients, etc.
Examples: amule, gftp, d4x
Applications/Network/Monitoring
Network monitoring software
Examples: gip, ettercap, iptstate
Applications/Network/Web Browsing
Web browsers, tools for offline browsing, etc.
Examples: elinks, epiphany-browser, webhttrack
Applications/Network/Web News
Web feed (RSS, Atom, etc.) and podcast aggregators.
Examples: akregator, kitty, liferea
Applications/Office
Office suites, word processors, spreadsheets, CRM,
ERP, financial software, etc.
Examples: openoffice.org, tinyerp-client, gnucash
Applications/Programming
IDEs, debuggers, etc.
Examples: anjuta, gdb, eclipse
Applications/Project Management
Timetable managers, group task trackers, bug tracking
software, etc.
Examples: planner, bugzilla, gnotime
Applications/Science
Scientific and engineering-related software.
Applications/Science/Astronomy
Astronomy-related software.
Examples: celestia, spacechart, stellarium
Applications/Science/Biology
Biology-related software.
Examples: arb, ncbi-tools-x11, seaview
Applications/Science/Chemistry
Chemistry-related software.
Examples: chemtool, kalzium, xdrawchem
Applications/Science/Data Analysis
Software designed for processing, extracting,
and presenting generic scientific data.
Examples: fityk, ygraph, mn-fit
Applications/Science/Electronics
Circuit design tools, simulators and assemblers
for microprocessors, etc
Examples: geda, gnucap, tkgate
Applications/Science/Engineering
CAD, UML tools, diagram-drawing and other
engineering-related software.
Examples: tcm, dia, qcad
Applications/Science/Geoscience
Geoscience-related software.
Examples: earth3d, qgis, therion
Applications/Science/Mathematics
Mathematics-related software.
Examples: gcalctool, snappea, xeukleides
Applications/Science/Medicine
Medicine-related software.
Examples: mssstest, gnumed-client, xmedcon
Applications/Science/Physics
Physics-related software.
Examples: kxterm, ifrit, paw
Applications/Science/Social
Social sciences-related software.
Examples: gnomesword, hanzim, bibletime
Applications/Shells
Various shells to be used inside a terminal emulator.
Examples: bash, ksh, zsh
Applications/Sound
Sound players, editors, and rippers/recorders.
Examples: beep-media-player, grip, audacity
Applications/System
System related software.
Applications/System/Administration
Administrative and system configuration
utilities, also tools for personal user
settings.
Tools for manipulating specific hardware,
especially non-standard laptop hardware.
Examples: toshutils, nvclock-gtk, nvtv
Applications/System/Language Environment
This section is reserved for language-env as a
special case.
Applications/System/Monitoring
System information and monitoring tools, log
viewers, etc.
Examples: top, hal-device-manager, gtkdiskfree
Applications/System/Package Management
Package managers and related tools.
Examples: aptitude, deborphan, smartpm
Applications/System/Security
Security, cryptography and privacy related
software, antiviruses, tools to track and report
bugs, etc.
Examples: gpgkeys, bastille, avscan
Applications/Terminal Emulators
Graphical terminal emulators.
Examples: xterm, gnome-terminal, rxvt
Applications/Text
Text oriented tools like dictionaries, OCR,
translation, text analysis software, etc.
Examples: kdrill, stardict, turkey
Applications/TV and Radio
TV-in, TV-out, FM radio, teletext browsers, etc.
Examples: gradio, gatos, alevt
Applications/Viewers
Software for viewing images, documents and other
(non-video) media.
Examples: gqview, evince, gthumb
Applications/Video
Video players, editors, and rippers/recorders.
Examples: istanbul, totem, kino
Applications/Web Development
Software for web site editing, web programming, and
site administration.
Examples: bluefish, screem, gphpedit
Games
Games and recreations
Games/Action
Games that involve a lot of action and require fast
reflexes.
Examples: xsoldier, supertux, xmoto
Games/Adventure
Role playing and adventure games, interactive movies
and stories, etc.
Examples: beneath-a-steel-sky, egoboo, kq
Games/Blocks
Tetris-like games involving falling blocks.
Examples: crack-attack, frozen-bubble, netris
Games/Board
Games played on a board.
Examples: phalanx, xshogi, xboard
Games/Card
Games involving a deck of cards.
Examples: pysol, ace-of-penguins, xpat2
Games/Puzzles
Tests of ingenuity and logic.
Examples: xmpuzzles, sgt-puzzles, enigma
Games/Simulation
Simulations of the real world in all detail and
complexity.
Examples: flightgear, torcs
Games/Strategy
Games involving long-term strategic thinking.
Examples: wesnoth, widelands, netpanzer
Games/Tools
Server browsers, configurators, editors, and other
game-related tools that are not games themselves.
Examples: xqf, crystalspace
Games/Toys
Amusements, eye-candy, entertaining demos, screen
hacks (screensavers), etc.
Examples: xdesktopwaves, xphoon, xpenguins
Help
programs that provide user documentation
Examples: debian-reference, apt-howto, dhelp
Screen
Programs that affect the whole screen.
Screen/Saving
Tools for blanking the screen. Entries of screen
hacks and configuration GUIs should go to other
appropriate sections.
Examples: xscreensaver, xlockmore
Screen/Locking
Tools for locking the screen.
Examples: xscreensaver, xlockmore
Window Managers
X window managers.
Examples: fluxbox, metacity, waimea
FVWM Modules
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
Window Maker
This section is reserved for wmaker as a special case.