Bug#29178: problem with FTP install

[paul@mtnmath.com (Paul Budnik)]

Package: dpkg
Version: 1.4.0.23.2

There seems to be an incompatibility between this version of dselect
and the filename field in
`ftp.debian.org/debian/hamm/main/binary-i386/Packages' and the other
`Packages' files for hamm.

If I specify a directory for ftpdir (/debian/hamm) that allows the Packages
file to be read and downloaded then I am not able to retrieve any of the
Packages. The problem is that The filename fields in `Packages' all begin with
dists/stable as in
Filename: dists/stable/main/binary-i386/text/2utf_1.04.deb

and the program attempts to retrieve the nonexistent file:

/debian/hamm/dists/stable/main/binary-i386/text/2utf_1.04.deb

I am able to get around this by editing files:
/var/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/Packages.* to remove the dists/stable/ part
of the filename. I think the best solution is that there be an option to
specify separate directory bases for retrieving the Packages files and
the files referenced in these files.

Here is the complete `/var/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/vars' file I used for
the retrieval:

$ftpsite='ftp.debian.org';
$passive='1';
$username='anonymous';
$password='paul@mtnmath.mtnmath.com';
$ftpdir='/debian/hamm';
$distribs='main contrib non-free';
$dldir='debian';


Paul P. Budnik Jr.
Mountain Math Software
paul@mtnmath.com, http://www.mtnmath.com
(408) 353 3824, Fax (408) 353 3989