tags 39830 - fixed retitle 39830 [AMENDMENT 30/10/2002] get rid of undocumented(7) symlinks thanks On Wed, Oct 30, 2002 at 10:54:08AM +0100, Martin Godisch wrote: > On Thu, Oct 28, 1999 at 16:26:50 +0200, Roland Rosenfeld wrote: > > I proposed to change the "Manual pages" section of our policy to get > > rid of the undocumented(7) symlinks. > > > > This proposal was seconded by Chris Waters <xtifr@dsp.net> and Chris > > Lawrence <quango@watervalley.net>, so I change the status to > > "amendment" now. > > I second this proposal. Why has it been rejected? I also second this proposal, and would like it to be revived. I would add to Roland's suggested diff that there are additional examples available in the /usr/share/doc/man-db/examples/ directory. Manoj said with regard to this proposal: # The second set of commands clear out old and stalled proposals # out of the policy BTS. I am labeling them fixed, rather than closing # them, since people may wish to resurrect some of these proposals. Here's an updated version of Roland Rosenfeld's diff: --- policy.sgml.orig 2002-10-30 10:51:25.000000000 +0000 +++ policy.sgml 2002-10-30 10:58:10.000000000 +0000 @@ -7476,22 +7476,26 @@ page included as well. </p> - <p> - If no manual page is available for a particular program, - utility, function or configuration file and this is reported - as a bug to the Debian Bug Tracking System, a symbolic link - from the requested manual page to the <manref - name="undocumented" section="7"> manual page may be - provided. This symbolic link can be created from - <file>debian/rules</file> like this: - <example compact="compact"> -ln -s ../man7/undocumented.7.gz \ - debian/tmp/usr/share/man/man[1-9]/<var>requested_manpage</var>.[1-9].gz - </example> - This manpage claims that the lack of a manpage has been - reported as a bug, so you may only do this if it really has - (you can report it yourself, if you like). Do not close the - bug report until a proper manpage is available.</p> + <p> + There must be a manual page at least for every program. If + no manual page is available, this is considered as a bug and + should be reported to the Debian Bug Tracking System (the + maintainer of the package is allowed to write this bug report + himself, too). Do not close the bug report until a proper + manpage is available.<footnote> + <p> + It is not very hard to write a man page. See the <url + id="http://www.schweikhardt.net/man_page_howto.html"; + name="Man-Page-HOWTO">, <tt>man(7)</tt>, the examples + created by <tt>debmake</tt> or <tt>dh_make</tt>, or the + directory <file>/usr/share/doc/man-db/examples</file>. + </p> + </footnote> + To avoid duplicate bug reports about missing manual pages, + you should inform the user that you know about the missing + manual page in + <file>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var>/TODO.Debian</file>. + </p> <p> You may forward a complaint about a missing manpage to the This proposal has already been proposed and seconded several times (proposed by Roland Rosenfeld in <199906202336.BAA09700@spinnaker.rhein.de>, seconded by Chris Waters in <87n1xu2y7b.fsf@dsp.net>, by Chris Lawrence in <19990620223638.C24717@quango2.watervalley.net>, by Martin Lodisch above (are you a developer?), and by me in this message), so assuming that those people still agree then it's an amendment. I propose a two-week discussion period. Cheers, -- Colin Watson [cjwatson@flatline.org.uk]
Attachment:
pgpv2BFRStHEq.pgp
Description: PGP signature