Bug#42477: [PROPOSED} delay the /usr/doc transition till after potato
Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.0.1.0
PROPOSAL (0.9): delay the /usr/share/doc transition
ABSTRACT: If we start moving the contents of /usr/doc to
/usr/share/doc at this point, not long before a release, we will
either have to delay the release (in order to bring all packages up to
policy 3.0.x compliance) or be forced to release an inconsistent
system, with some packages using /usr/doc and some using
/usr/share/doc.
Unlike most other FHS-mandated changes, an inconsistency here will be
*highly* visible, and probably very annoying to our users.
It's going to be a while before we can claim FHS compliance in any
case. We have a lot of changes to make. The /usr/share/doc
transition affects many packages, but it's obvious, and fairly simple
once you get down to it. Other stuff may not be so simple or obvious.
Therefore, I propose that Packages intended for for the distributions
code-named "Potato" (and "Slink") continue to use /usr/doc. This will
ensure that Potato is consistent. Plus, this gives us an entire
release cycle to find a smooth transition path. And to finish dealing
with *other* FHS issues, so we really *do* have an FHS-compliant
system.
SYMLINKS: This proposal deliberately does not address the issue of
symlinks between /usr/doc/<package> and /usr/share/doc/<package>. It
could be argued that it allows the use of symlinks -- but it does not
require them. If the symlink issue is felt to be of sufficient
importance, it can be dealt with separately, without affecting this
proposal at all. My personal feeling is that symlinks for
transitional packages should be allowed but not required, but I'm not
firmly wedded to that opinion.
DETAILS: Change the following text in policy.sgml (note, this is not
provided as a true patch, as I wanted to chose the amount of context
to show manually):
===
<sect1>
<heading>Linux File system Structure</heading>
<p>
The location of all installed files and directories must
comply (with some exceptions
<footnote>
<p>In an as yet unreleased version of the standard, the
location of the mail spool and state information
directories has changed; and we propose to follow the
latter, since that would mean that we do not have to
move things around again when the new version of the
FHS comes around). The changes are, amongst others,
s%/var/mail%/var/spool/mail% and
s%/var/state%/var/lib%</p>
+ <p>For the release code-named "Potato", packages should
+ continue to use /usr/doc instead of the FHS's
+ /usr/share/doc, for consistency. For uploads to
+ "Potato" (and the earlier "Slink"), please use
+ /usr/doc whereever this document refers to
+ /usr/share/doc.</p>
</footnote>
) with the Linux File system Hierarchy Standard
(FHS). The latest version of this document can be found
--
Chris Waters xtifr@dsp.net | I have a truly elegant proof of the
or xtifr@debian.org | above, but it is too long to fit into
http://www.dsp.net/xtifr | this .signature file.
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