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Re: update messages



On Sun, 2006-12-31 at 19:11 +0000, Digby Tarvin wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 31, 2006 at 07:31:04PM +0100, Sven Arvidsson wrote:
> > On Sun, 2006-12-31 at 17:37 +0000, Digby Tarvin wrote:
> > > Here is what it says:
> > [...]
> > >  Maintainer: Fabian Greffrath <fabian@debian-unofficial.org>
> > 
> > That says it all, doesn't it?
> 
> Afraid the name doesn't mean anything to me. 

As it's maintained by someone with an debian-unofficial.org address, I
take that as an indication that it's a package from their archives, and
not one from the official Debian ones.

You could also look in the documentation of the package
(/usr/share/doc/packagename) and see if there are any clues in
changelog.Debian.gz, README.Debian etc. 

> Sorry, couldn't find the message you are referring to - was it posted under
> the same name? All I can find other than the the one I am replying to
> is

This link, 
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=98215

From the bug report:
        "It turns out that after several years including
        xv in the non-free archive that we are not allowed to distribute
        modified binaries."

> Is there a history file/database somewhere where additions and
> removals from the official debian package repository are logged?
> Something which came back with 'removed on such and such a date
> for such and such a reason' would be so much more useful than
> a database which only mentioned packages that still existed.
> 
> After all, if there is a philosophical objection to a package on
> some ground, removing it makes a much stronger statement if people
> know why it isn't there.

Packages being removed from a stable release is often mentioned in the
news of the new release, see here for example.
http://www.debian.org/News/2005/20050416

There's also a page here, listing software that cannot be packaged,
http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/unable-to-package

None of these are easy to find, and not really what you are looking for,
so I can see why it's a bit frustrating.

-- 
Cheers,
Sven Arvidsson
http://www.whiz.se
PGP Key ID 760BDD22

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