Re: LaTeX Bugs and Debian (Was: Re: Bug#63930: gets margins incorrect)

[Brian May <bmay@csse.monash.edu.au>]

>>>>> "C" == C M Connelly <c@eskimo.com> writes:

    C> This message was inspired by Brian May's problems with
    C> changebar.sty, which were easily solved by updating the
    C> changebar package to a newer version available from CTAN.

Thanks for that, yes, you are right, it did solve the problem.

Perhaps though, the real issue is that the upstream TeTeX distributes
old copies of some of these packages.

    C>          You should file your bug report even if there's
    C> already another bug report describing a different problem that
    C> recommends updating the same LaTeX or Debian package.

Why? Just curious, as normally maintainers prefer to avoid
duplicate bug reports.

    C> Anyway, just some thoughts.  It's kind of a shame that there
    C> isn't a central clearinghouse for LaTeX problems, unless you

Agreed.

    C> count comp.text.tex.  (The LaTeX Project has its own BTS, and
    C> the AMS handles support for AMS-LaTeX and the AMSFonts, but
    C> everything else seems to be up to the authors of a given LaTeX
    C> package) I'm not convinced that having the Debian BTS pick up
    C> the slack is the best solution, but allowing (and encouraging)
    C> these bugs to be filed would at least help Debian TeX users.

    C> Maybe a better long-term solution would be to get people to
    C> submit more questions and answers to the UK TUG FAQ, set up
    C> another BTS somewhere else (perhaps as part of or sponsored by
    C> some other project or TeX-related entity), or even to include
    C> some additional documentation with the Debian tetex-docs
    C> package covering such problems (tetex-bugs?).

    C> I'm interested in hearing what other people think about these
    C> ideas.  If we can come up with some consensus on a solution, I
    C> have time to work on a document, Web page, or whatever.

Sometimes it isn't easy to find the active maintainer. For instance,
work arounds for seminar.sty have been provided by somebody else who
is not the author. Sure, after searching around the Debian
installation for a while, you can find files a number of important
files, including one which says seminar.sty is now DFSG free, but a
central place for this information would be better.
-- 
Brian May <bmay@csse.monash.edu.au>