On 08/08 17:54:42, Colin Watson wrote: > On Fri, Aug 08, 2008 at 06:06:32PM +0200, Frank Lichtenheld wrote: > > On Fri, Aug 08, 2008 at 01:41:17PM +0100, Colin Watson wrote: > > > I don't really want to make man-db depend on this version of > > > groff, though, as man doesn't require it during normal > > > operations.
I guess it depends on what you call "normal operations" - it appears that the *only* way lintian uses man is for the --warnings flag. :) Given that the --warnings part of man-db's functionality is just flat-out broken with the older groff, it would seem that even a policy of minimal-changes would still justify updating the groff-version Depends for man-db. > > > Could you just upgrade groff? I could and I will. Whatever the resolution of this (admittedly uncommon) bug, I can't be bothered waiting - and it annoys me seeing lintian repeatedly throw up a warning on a manpage that I know is perfectly okay (though if it wasn't okay then I wouldn't find out <wry grin>). > > > Perhaps lintian needs to check groff's version number too? That seems... a little odd. Why should lintian need to care *how* man-db implements the --warnings flag? lintian should be able to assume that the documented command-line interface for man(1) does the right thing. Whatever underlying functionality man(1) uses to implement --warnings is really none of lintian's business. Or so I'd think. :-) > > Hmm, how long was this broken? I can't recall ever running into > > this bug... > > It was never broken in any given coherent release, but I have a > feeling that Peter installed current man-db on stable or on a rather > old incarnation of testing. You're probably quite correct - it's a virtual machine that started out as etch and then I started installing a few things from sid. Apparently *something* pulled in a new version of man-db (2.5.2-2) (and I would've installed the latest lintian (1.24.2)), but groff-base stayed at 1.18.1.1-12. The main reason I thought it qualified as a bug was because it led to lintian complaining about a man page in my custom package - and because this was the first time I'd *used* lintian, it took me far too long (a couple of hours) to realise that it wasn't actually a bug in the manpage, rather a glitch in the toolchain being used to *test* the manpage. > Colin Watson Anyway, thanks for the clarification Colin. I've now upgraded groff and the problem has gone away. Pete. -- Peter Wright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Phone: 03 9428 6922 Level 1, 130-132 Stawell St Richmond VIC Web: http://www.cyber.com.au Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
