Package: dpkg
Version: 1.15.0

/usr/share/man/man5/deb-triggers.5.gz has just come to my attention.
I can see why someone wanted to add it but I think the inclusion of
this file in this form was a mistake.

If everything about the triggers machinery was done in manpages then
absolutely, there should be a deb-triggers(5) and a deb-triggers(7)
and so forth.  But the documentation for triggers is in
triggers.txt.gz.

The dpkg trigger machinery is useful only to package maintainers.  The
concepts on which deb-triggers(5) and dpkg-trigger(1) depend are those
of the dpkg trigger system as defined in the specification.

I can see that there is an argument that /usr/bin/dpkg-trigger is
useful to a sysadmin (but arguably the manpage should be in section
8), and thus having it documented in the form of a manpage is useful.
But it is essential that the manpage give a reference to the full
specification.

(One might also consider whether the material which is currently
duplicated between triggers.txt.gz and dpkg-trigger(1) should appear
in only one place; removing the usage information from triggers.txt.gz
should be done insofar as it would make that document clearer.)

As for deb-triggers(5), I'm afraid that I think it should be removed.
It is just a red herring.

Ian.



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