Bug#587377: debian-policy: Decide on arbitrary file/path names limit

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Bill Allombert wrote:

> To give an example: Debian policy mandates that the file 
> /usr/share/doc/<package>/changelog.Debian.gz 
> exists.
> Now perl subpolicy mandate that the perl module Foo::Bar::Baz::Qux::Quux::Quuux::Quuuux 
> whic live in /usr/share/perl5/Foo/Bar/Baz/Qux/Quux/Quuux/Quuuux
> be packaged as
> libfoo-bar-baz-qux-quux-quuux-quuuux-perl,
> which leads to the file
> /usr/share/doc/libfoo-bar-baz-qux-quux-quuux-quuuux-perl/changelog.Debian.gz

I see.  (Though I suspect that a perl module with more than, say,
80 characters in its name is pushing the boundaries of good taste
already.  It's hard to get to 239.)

> I am not objecting to a limit being set. What I am objecting to is for policy to forbid
> something without providing guidance on how to deal with the issue.
>
> If you look at the section about software version, policy provides guidance how to deal
> with software without upstream version or non-increasing upstream version, it does not 
> just state that this is forbidden, etc.

Thanks for clarifying.  I misunderstood before and I agree now.

What _would_ be good advice in this case?  For long filenames, one
option is to build hierarchically named subdirectories.  I confess
that it's straining my imagination to come up with situations in which
names approaching the limits would come up in practice that are not
simply bugs.

Jonathan