Bug#269828: tetex-base: Provide script to purge old map files

[Ross Boylan <RossBoylan@stanfordalumni.org>]

On Sat, Sep 04, 2004 at 11:15:59AM +0200, Frank Küster wrote:
> Ross Boylan <RossBoylan@stanfordalumni.org> schrieb:
> 
> > Package: tetex-base
> > Version: 2.0.2b-3
> > Severity: wishlist
> >
> > README.Debian.gz, in the second major section, indicates there are a
> > bunch of map files that are no longer used, but that Debian policy
> > prohibits removing them.
> >
> > Could you provide a script that removes them, for those who wish too?
> 
> You can use /usr/share/doc/tetex-base/remove-oldmaps. But a pointer to
> it in tetex-base's README.Debian is missing.
> 
> > First, should a thorough removal also modify
> > /var/lib/dpkg/info/tetex-{base,extra}.conffiles?  If so, how?
> 
> Which modifications do you mean? The old conffiles are yet removed from
> that file, if they are no longer in the deb.
I don't follow the "yet" in the previous sentence.  I assume the
meaning is that the old conffiles are removed....

The modification I meant was removing the files from
*{base,extra}.conffiles, but it seems that's taken care of.  The
README says "(but still be registered in
/var/lib/dpkg/info/tetex-{base,extra}.conffiles)".  I thought that
meant the indicated {base,extra}.conffiles would still have entries
for the deleted files, and needed to be cleaned up.

> 
> > Second, has the change actually made all .map, .cfg, and .qf files in
> > the directory, or perhaps the directory itself, obsolete?  
> 
> No, the directory is still in the search path, and is still needed for
> files in tetex-base (config.*) and other packages.
> 
> > What is the
> > change that obsoletes them, and is it Debian specific?
> 
> We defined VARTEXMF and included it in TEXMF. This functionality was
> always planned for in teTeX 2.0.2, but the fact that we use it now is
> Debian-specific.
> 
> Do you agree that we can close this bug once remove-oldmaps is
> mentionend in the documentation, or do you think there's more to do? 
> 
> Regards

I suggest the following changes:
1. Mention remove-oldmaps (perhaps adding you need to be root, though
that's pretty obvious).
2. Make remove-oldmaps executable (if that's not against policy).
3. Change "Therefore, if you used testing, unstable or
some backports after woody's release, they might not exist on your
system (but still be registered in
/var/lib/dpkg/info/tetex-{base,extra}.conffiles)." to
"So if you used testing, unstable or some backports after woody's
release, the files may already be deleted."
I think the original parenthetical remark only adds confusion.  At
least, it seems to have confused me!
4. It might be good to add, at the end of section 2,
"Do NOT delete other files in the directory, which continues to be
used.  Debian has started using VARTEXMF, and including it in TEXMF.
Generated files now go under /var/lib/texmf/ and are not considered
configuration files by the Debian package system."  You might also say
what happened to the particular files you mentioned were deleted; at
least on my system I don't see them in /var/lib/texmf/dvips.

Thanks for the info, and the response.