Re: Bug#2904: install-info doesn't cope with nonexistent /usr/info/dir file
On Mon, 6 May 1996, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Michael Alan Dorman writes ("Bug#2904: install-info doesn't cope with nonexistent /usr/info/dir file"):
> > Package: dpkg
> > Version: 1.1.6elf
> >
> > The install-info script does not deal gracefully with the case where
> > /usr/info/dir (which doesn't seem to reside in any package, and thus has
> > little if any protection from being overwritten) doesn't exist.
> >
> > Where it would seem reasonable to silently create the file (possibly with
> > some number of default entries), install-info instead complains about
> > being unable to get a lock and falls over.
>
> The file has information in it that isn't in any of the info files, so
> you can't really recreate it. Also, if the file disappears it's a
> problem that ought to be noted. It ought to be fixed by reinstalling
> the base package, probably.
Wouldn't it be a good idea to all the packages that maintain files like
info.dir install a cron job that does a backup of the said file (just like
it's done for /etc/passwd and friends)? I mean files that build up
information from install-* commands as you install pacakges. This would
also hold for the new mime-support-2.0 package...
If none disagree, maybe this could be put in the guidelines too...
Christian
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