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*-doc package should not gzip PDF file



Hi relax.

As I said, I "understand ..".  See below :)

On Sat, Jun 24, 2006 at 06:48:26PM +0200, Preben Randhol wrote:
> On Sat, 24 Jun 2006 05:52:26 +0900
> Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> > But, we have fast CPUs so it is not too bad.  Under gnome, fileroller
> > will open it for you from filer. 
> 
> But I don't want to unzip a pdf to my home directory. This wasts space.
> Last pdf I saw gzipped was only 6% smaller. If I have to gunzip it to
> my local home directory I actually use 194 % more space than I needed
> if the pdf wasn't gzipped.

Neither do I want to unzip.

> If the system has 10 people and everybody does this then please tell my
> why gzipping the file saves space?!?
> 
> > So it is non-issue for modern machine.  We live with current rule.

Maybe I should have said I live ...

> No it is not. Because I (for one) want user friendliness. Why should I
> waste my time gunzipping X files to get the info I need to do my job?
> We talk about Linux being more efficient than say Windows, but if we
> constantly have to jump over hurdles like this, everything slows
> down....
> 
> > Real issue is saving space for compact systems.  There we will have
> > support in dpkg which can be told to drop installing
> > in /usr/share/doc/* or something like it. 
> 
> If it is a compact system, then why on earth would you install doc
> packages? It doesn't make sense.
> 
> If one really really need to gzip, then make all applications in the
> default Debian system able to handle gzipped files so there is no need
> to unzip them to your local area and in fact use more space than
> needed. 

The point is, if this mechanism is active, there is no point to gzip
pdf/ps/txt file in /usr/share/doc/* in regular package either.

> Best wishes
> 
> Preben

For architecture: all *-doc packages, there is no technical and
practical reason to gzip *.pdf file.  I agree.  packages are gziped so
package size d nt change.  We do it just because of policy and bcause
helper script is written such way as I said.

If anyone wants this to be fixed following should happen.

* Write a patch to the debhelper gzip text/pdf/ps file logic
   - do not compress if the package is *-doc and file extension is pdf.
   - possibly even avoid compressing if the result of compression gain
     less than **% (10% ?? or 1KB) of size.

* propose policy update proposal. (debian-policy)

Unless someone do the first work, nothing will change.  It is non-issue
for me now (so I will not do it) but I have no reason to object such an
rational move.

Please go ahead spend your good time :)  Once I see technical solution,
I will support policy change.

Cheers,

Osamu



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