Policy for packages providing newer CTAN versions than teTeX (was: Incorporating new versions of algorithms in tetex for etch?)

[Frank Küster <frank@debian.org>]

Rogerio Theodoro de Brito <rbrito@ime.usp.br> wrote:

>> To achieve this, you
>> must either find someone to maintain it (filing a RFP bug against the
>> wnpp pseudo package in our Bugtracking System could be a first step), or
>> prepare the package yourself and look for a sponsor who does the upload.
>
> I think that I can prepare a Debian package of algorithms. We would only
> need to see what dependencies and conflicts would be needed (or, perhaps,
> diversions/alternatives---I don't know).

We have not yet decided how this should generally be done.  We plan to
support an additional TEXMF tree where packages can install their newer
versions and shadow the ones from teTeX.  You could install into this
tree, and need not care about teTeX versions.

However, there is also a different approach.  While sarge was prepared a
couple of LaTeX things that weren't in teTeX-2.0 were packaged for
Debian and are provided as separate packages.  teTeX-3.0 now contains
these packages, and to avoid duplicates we simply don't install them
from teTeX.  We could, in principle, do the same with algorithms.

As I said, we have not yet discussed whether we want to adopt a general
policy here, and which.  I could imagine the following approach:

- Usually, packages that provide files not in the current teTeX install
  themselves into /usr/share/texmf

- Usually, packages that provide newer files with older versions already
  in teTeX install into /usr/share/site-texmf/

- If a new upstream version comes out, we "delete" files from teTeX in
  two cases:

  a) If the package is new in teTeX and already packaged for Debian
     (into /usr/share/texmf)

  b) If the package already was in teTeX, but now has an established,
     well-maintained version living in site-texmf.

In case of b), the other package can subsequently move files to
/usr/share/texmf. 

Unfortunately, site-texmf is not supported in unstable (and even not in
the current experimental version.  So if you get packages ready soon,
you (or rather your sponsor) can upload them simply with files in
/usr/share/texmf, but please notify us.  If we are faster with uploading
a teTeX-3.0 with site-texmf support to unstable, better put them there. 

Regards, Frank
-- 
Frank Küster
Inst. f. Biochemie der Univ. Zürich
Debian Developer