Package: libgcj4 Version: various Severity: normal This is a semi-automated bug report based on scanning the contents of binary .deb files in the unstable Debian archive.
The libgcj4 packages seem to contain a very large amount of architecture-independent data in architecture-dependent packages, specifically data installed under /usr/share. This is wasteful of mirror space and bandwidth, as we then end up with multiple copies of this data, one for each architecture. Initial estimates suggest that several gigabytes of Debian archive space may currently be wasted because of packages like this. The way to fix this depends on the layout of your package: * Some packages need to have a -common or -doc package split out to contain this common data, and the existing packages that need this data should then be altered to depend on the new -common or -doc package. * This package may already be such a -common or -doc package, in which case it probably should already be marked as Architecture: all in your debian/control file rather than Architecture: any . * Maybe the files under /usr/share do not belong there - several packages seem to contain data in /usr/share that is definitely architecture-dependent. In this case, please move the files into the right place. Policy is quite clear on this point: http://www.debian.org/doc/developers-reference/ch-best-pkging-practices#s-bpp-archindepdata The usage of these packages is currently: debsize pkgsize /usr/share % filename 3772818 11712 4388 37 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre3_arm.deb 4665592 19776 4388 22 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre3_ia64.deb 4061992 12180 4388 36 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre3_m68k.deb 4399840 13452 4388 32 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre3_s390.deb 4032628 12940 4388 33 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre3_sparc.deb 4295746 17204 4388 25 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre4_alpha.deb 3979320 12480 4388 35 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre4_i386.deb 4133892 13248 4388 33 pool/main/g/gcc-3.3/libgcj4_3.3.3-0pre4_powerpc.deb Please split this package appropriately. If you believe your package is already split reasonably, then sorry for bothering you. If you wish to discuss this further, please feel free to reply to this bug. If you agree that there's a problem here but need help to fix it: again, feel free to ask... Thanks, -- Steve McIntyre, Cambridge, UK. [EMAIL PROTECTED]