Bug#571625: texlive-latex-extra: Unlike documented, TL2009 footmisc does not accept old symbol definitions

[Agustin Martin <agustin.martin@hispalinux.es>]

Package: texlive-latex-extra
Version: 2009-7
Severity: normal

Hi,

footmisc.sty shipped with texlive 2009 seems to not behave as documented
regarding symbols (re)definition. Processing attached file gives an error

----------- 8< ---------------------------
(./test0.aux)
! Missing $ inserted.
<inserted text> 
                $
l.8 b\footnote{
               b}
? 
! Extra }, or forgotten $.
\@thefnmark ->{\unhbox \voidb@x \hbox {\dagger }
                                                }
...
----------- 8< ---------------------------

Note that symbol definition in attached file is copied from footmisc 
documentation as of September 18, 2009, shipped with texlive. I did not find
a new upload in CTAN.

I can workaround this in TL2009 by using something like

\DefineFNsymbols{mystyle}{%
  \textdagger
  \textdaggerdbl
  \textsection
  \textbardbl%
  \textparagraph}%

but this is not backwards compatible. To actually make the definition (it
was really inside a class I wrote for my notes) backwards compatible, I 
had to use in my class a construction like

\@ifundefined{DefineFNsymbolsTM}{%
 ... old style definition
}{%
 ... new style definition
}%

Hope this helps,

-- 
Agustin

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[perpage,symbol*,stable]{footmisc}
\DefineFNsymbols*{lamport}{*\dagger\ddagger\S\P\|%
          {**}{\dagger\dagger}{\ddagger\ddagger}}
\setfnsymbol{lamport}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{a}
b\footnote{b}
c\footnote{c}
d\footnote{d}
\end{document}