Re: Packaging _still_ wasteful for many large packages

[Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com>]

In article <m2n.s.2004021512350722332@mossbank.org.uk> you write:
>Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com> writes:
>
>> I'm considering posting bugs against packages in the list asking for
>> more sensible package splits. Comments?
>
>Yes. Before filing any bug report on emacs21* packages, please
>explain what's wrong with them so we can discuss first.

Looking at the contents of emacs21-common_21.3+1-4_alpha.deb, the
first of the emacs21 packages listed, there is a huge amount of stuff
from this binary package installed under /usr/share:

sledge:~/tmp/size-check$ du
8       ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/etc/e
5060    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/etc
300     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/term
496     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/play
240     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/toolbar
1252    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/textmodes
2836    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/progmodes
184     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/obsolete
260     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/language
700     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/international
436     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/eshell
736     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/emulation
1044    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/emacs-lisp
532     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/calendar
384     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/net
724     ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/mail
2728    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp/gnus
19440   ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/lisp
7492    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/leim/quail
1472    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/leim/ja-dic
8988    ./usr/share/emacs/21.3/leim
33488   ./usr/share/emacs/21.3
0       ./usr/share/emacs/site-lisp
33488   ./usr/share/emacs
1740    ./usr/share/info/emacs-21
1740    ./usr/share/info
24      ./usr/share/man/man1
24      ./usr/share/man
4       ./usr/share/emacs21/site-lisp
4       ./usr/share/emacs21
80      ./usr/share/doc/emacs21-common
80      ./usr/share/doc
35336   ./usr/share

...

If this stuff is arch-dependent, it should not be living under
/usr/share. If it is truly common, we do not need _11_ copies of it in
the archive for every version when one is enough.

-- 
Steve McIntyre, Cambridge, UK.                                steve@einval.com
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me