Re: question about libraries in packages.

[cjw44@flatline.org.uk (Colin Watson)]

Aubin Paul <aubin@punknews.org> wrote:
>1) I'm currently packing snoopy, it's an execve logger, it overrides
>the default execve behaviour in libc, with an LD_PRELOAD, and logs all
>executed commands. Anyhow, the upstream version installs into /lib,
>since it's for libc.. however, does it go there in a deb or into
>/usr/lib? It's not explicitly required for a bootup, so is that how
>the decision is made?

Have a look at the FHS (there's a copy in debian-policy):

       The /lib directory contains those shared library images needed to boot
       the system and run the commands in the root filesystem.

Assuming that binaries in /bin and /sbin don't use it by default, leave
it in /usr/lib.

>2) If I make a bug-fix, and submit it upstream, do I have to wait for
>the upstream version to apply my fix, or can I just apply it myself.
>(In one of my packages, there were some GTK warnings, so I fixed
>those, and sent a patch to the upstream guy, but can I just apply them
>now, as part of my .diff?)

Certainly, as Eric said, you're perfectly entitled to have whatever you
like in your .diff.gz. Some developers will go right ahead and fix any
and all bugs, on the basis that the Debian package should be as good as
possible. Some are a little more conservative about certain classes of
bugs, on the basis that preserving compatibility with other systems is
important too.

If you're forwarding all upstream fixes upstream, though, and keeping a
log of everything you do, there should be no problem. I certainly
wouldn't have any qualms about applying a patch that was already in
upstream CVS or whatever, which fixed an annoying bug, but which just
hadn't made it into an upstream release yet.

-- 
Colin Watson                                     [cjw44@flatline.org.uk]