Package: cron Version: 3.0pl1-106 Severity: minor Tags: patch Last June I submitted bug #485452, which pointed out an error and some stylistic problems in cron's package description. The fix did not apply my suggested patch directly; it dealt with the factual error, but turned some portions of the text into word salad.
# Package: cron # Description: process scheduling daemon # The cron daemon is a background process that runs particular programs at # particular times (for example, every minute, day, week or month), as # specific in the in a crontab. By default, users may also create # crontabs of their own so that processes are run on their behalf. The line "as specific in the in a crontab" needs corrective surgery. # Users may also install crontabs so that processes are run on # their behalf, though this feature can be disabled or restricted to # particular users. This paragraph is redundant. If you insist on keeping it, throw out the last sentence of the previous paragraph. # Output from the commands is usually mailed to the system administrator # (or to the user in question); you should probably install a mail system # as well so that you can receive these messages. # . # This cron package is configured by default to do some basic daily system # maintenance tasks, such as ensuring creating copying key system files. # Additional maintenance tasks are available on external packages, such as # 'checksecurity' The line "such as ensuring creating copying key system files" is severely garbled. The last sentence needs work too: tasks aren't "on" packages, and what are "external" packages, anyway? # The lockfile-progs package is recommended as it will prevent # /etc/cron.daily/standard from running multiple # times if something gets jammed. (This is looking rather ridiculous now that there's a perfectly good file-locking tool in Stable's Essential coreutils, but that's a separate issue.) I suggest... no, come to think of it this time I even _recommend_ that you adopt the attached patch. -- JBR Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)
diff -ru cron-3.0pl1.pristine/debian/control cron-3.0pl1/debian/control --- cron-3.0pl1.pristine/debian/control 2009-06-30 18:58:02.000000000 +0100 +++ cron-3.0pl1/debian/control 2009-06-30 20:40:58.000000000 +0100 @@ -15,22 +15,17 @@ Provides: Description: process scheduling daemon The cron daemon is a background process that runs particular programs at - particular times (for example, every minute, day, week or month), as - specific in the in a crontab. By default, users may also create - crontabs of their own so that processes are run on their behalf. - . - Users may also install crontabs so that processes are run on - their behalf, though this feature can be disabled or restricted to - particular users. + particular times (for example, every minute, day, week, or month), as + specified in a crontab. By default, users may also create crontabs of + their own so that processes are run on their behalf. . Output from the commands is usually mailed to the system administrator (or to the user in question); you should probably install a mail system as well so that you can receive these messages. . This cron package is configured by default to do some basic daily system - maintenance tasks, such as ensuring creating copying key system files. - Additional maintenance tasks are available on external packages, such as - 'checksecurity' + maintenance tasks, such as creating backups of key system files. Other + packages, such as checksecurity, can provide further maintenance tasks. . The lockfile-progs package is recommended as it will prevent /etc/cron.daily/standard from running multiple
