RFC Implementation of SGML/XML Proposal for LSB in Debian
Below is an RFC for the implementation of the SGML/XML Proposal for the LSB
(version 0.3) in Debian. I've send this to several mailing list to give it
broad attention, but please keep all the further discussion on debian-sgml.
All affected package maintainers please subscribe to debian-sgml.
The complete proposal can be found at
http://dulug.duke.edu/~mark/debian/sgml/bischoff/
and there's some more related info at
http://dulug.duke.edu/~mark/debian/sgml/
Please refer to the proposal for various terms used below.
0. Introduction
Currently, the SGML/XML related stuff is located under /usr/lib/sgml including
the super catalog (which is symlinked to /etc/sgml.catalog).
In the proposal this is split between /usr/share/sgml and /etc/sgml:
/etc/sgml/
Configuration files, including centralized catalogs.
It includes:
*.conf: generic configuration files
sgml-docbook.cat, tei.cat, ...: DTD-specific centralized catalogs
catalog: the super catalog
/usr/share/sgml/
Architecture-independent files used by SGML applications: Open
Catalogs (not the centralized ones), DTDs, entities, stylesheets,
and other declarative files, if any.
It is organized into DTD-specific subdirectories:
docbook/
tei/
html/
debiandoc/
...
1. Transition
The transition will consists of several steps:
1. setting up the new structure while retaining the old one
2. adapting all affected packages to use the new structure
3. removing the old structure
In the first step each package with files under /usr/lib/sgml has to put the
these files under both /usr/share/sgml and /usr/lib/sgml. This can be done
either by simply putting a copy under /usr/lib/sgml or by symlinking from
/usr/lib/sgml to /usr/share/sgml. Since we're talking about only a few MBs
in size in total, the first solution is probably the easiest to achieve.
In the second step we have to adapt each SGML application to look under the
new structure for the SGML files. This is the most challenging part.
The third step is simply removing from each affected package the files under
/usr/lib/sgml.
2. Support
The sgml-base package will provide support to maintain the centralized
catalogs and the super catalog by adapting `install-catalog`. During the
transition both the old and the new structure (w.r.t. the catalogs) will be
supported.
There will be no support for maintaining the structures themselves.
3. Conclusion
The first thing to do is to have the sgml-base support in place. I'll also
setup a web page with the type and status of all affected packages. With type
is meant SGML application and/or DTD, stylesheet, etc.
After that we can start working on the transition itself.
--
Ardo van Rangelrooij
home email: ardo@debian.org
home page: http://www.debian.org/~ardo
PGP fp: 3B 1F 21 72 00 5C 3A 73 7F 72 DF D9 90 78 47 F9
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