gziped man files and other subjects

[Alan Eugene Davis <adavis@kuentos.guam.net>]

LETTER TO DEBIAN DEVELOPERS:

I am not a developer, and by rights I ought not comment on this
list.  However, I would like to make a few comments, starting from the
ongoing reparte concerning compressed man-pages.  I beg your
forgiveness in advance for not making a contribution; at this point, I
am in no position to do so, although I do hope to contribute at some
point, perhaps with some documentation.  In installing and running
Debian ALPHA 1.1, I have taken a chance with research notes, and an
in-progress publication; my decision has been justified, though in
truth there are a few rough spots and snags.  

In the case of manpages, it is most important is that dpkg be able to
deal with both species of manpage when and if it replaces them.  In
such a case, I, who am personally forced by economics to compress all
my manpages, will not be left with uncompressed replacements lying
about.  It is also crucial that the packages's own manpages are
authoritative, and are not replaced by a wholesale upgrade of the
manpages package.  I do not want my personal system compromised by
having dselect or dpkg or the Debian administrators make critical
decisions as to which packages will be replaced in an en masse
upgrade.  I don't want anything overwritten without my knowledge and
consent. 

The issue of manpages is relatively a simple one.  It points out a
percieved problem with Debian---I percieve a desire on the part of some
developers to develop a no-hands, no-brain installation and
upgradability that leaves me, as a user, out of the equation, and as
far as possible from /usr (save /usr/local), and for decisions as to
how I should want my system configured to be made by some authority.

That being said, I think I need to clarify (with profuse thanks) that
I appreciate the measured and paced development that has left me with
an excellent core system.  But I have had to do a number of things to
the system that might be seen as heresy, or at least so I perceive.  I
think the system should provide basic services; these services will
need to be built upon by the user in almost every case.  

Perhaps I do not represent a typical target Debian user.  But now, as
much as ever, I appreciate having a system that I can build upon.  I
have found it a trial to reconcile the new LaTeX packages I have had
to install in /usr/local/lib/texmf with the officially approved files
(unsoiled for the most part by my own hands) in /usr/lib/texmf .  It
is indeed true that I am both root and a user on my system, so I
needn't be paranoid, and I shouldn't take the statements of the
developers about /usr/local/ so seriously.  

But this might still need to be said, as I am truly becoming lost in
trying to reconcile myself as root and myself as a user.  It is getting
better now that I have sudo running; like several other packages that
I couldn't get running easily from Slackware, I have found them to run
relatively easily as debian packages.  For this I am grateful.  

So, I want to do what I want on my own system; I want to compress my
manpages without fear of dpkg running afoul of the arrangements I make
on my own, such as by installing uncompressed manpages alongside
compressed.  I also would like to see more setup scripts talking to me
and asking what I want; I am surprized not to have seen more of
this.  

Do the die hards have a problem with manpages.postinst asking 

       "Do you want your manpages installed as compressed files?"

or something even more verbose (and of course dpkg knowing how to
replace a compressed manpage)?    Perhaps the preinstall script could
ask  similar questions before overwriting (expecially when it finds
both gzipped and ungziped manpages both on a system?).  


I will say one more thing: I like to know what is happening to
my system during installation; I don't like being kept in the dark by
authorities or anyone else.  I would like to see informative messages
from dpkg letting me in, as a co-conspirator, to the setting up of my
system.  In no small measure, my love affair with Linux is due to the
learning experience.  Please don't deprive the new user of a chance to
learn Linux.  I don't think that everyone wants to be led by the hand
and left unblindfolded in the "maze of twisty passages, all alike,"
or, either, be led blindfolded through these twisty passages.  Some
will; the trick will be in drawing a line that will satisfy the
afficionado, while not spooking the neophyte.  


For Debian to not support compressed manpages because disks are only
.20/MB would be a discouraging signal.  GNU, Linux, TeX/LaTeX,
and a host of other high quality free software have enabled
and supported my research on animal names of Chuuk, when it has been
otherwise impossible to keep on due to the greed of large software
houses, and lack of funding for my work.    

Sorry to have taken up so much time.  Please keep up the good work.  


Alan Davis

"Look after truth and goodness.  Beauty looks after herself."
              ---Eric Gill