Bug#222701: apt-utils: apt-extracttemplates fails to parse debs created/modified by ar
Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org> writes:
> reassign 161593 apt-utils
> merge 161593 222701
> thanks
>
> On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 12:28:00PM +0100, Goswin Brederlow wrote:
> > Package: apt-utils
> > Version: 0.5.14.1
> > Severity: normal
> > Tags: patch
> >
> > The specification for the deb format ("man deb" is the best I could
> > find) say "The file is an ar archive with a magic number of !<arch>".
> >
> > dpkg-deb uses "filename " as the filename string in the deb while
> > ar will use "filename/ ". While dpkg happily accepts both formats
> > apt-extracttemplates fails to strip the trailing '/' from the
> > filename. Since dpkg is the authorative implementation
> > apt-extracttemplates should follow its lead and also support both.
> >
> > As a sidenote, the reason why this is important is that debsigs
> > modifies deb archives through ar and ar will add the trailing '/' to
> > all filenames. The same problem arises when deb files are build
> > manually with ar.
> >
> > Attached is a one line patch to support trailing '/'. Please add this
> > as soon as possible. Until then signed debs and pre-configuring
> > packages with debconf will conflict.
>
> See #161593 for an earlier discussion. Unfortunately the consensus on this
> issue is not clear, and the '/' is not the only difference to consider.
>
> --
> - mdz
I saw that bug mentioned later too.
>From the discussion it realy does sound like any deb tool should read
both ar formats but only write the more conformant one.
This means, as stated in the 161593 earlier, a bug in apt-utils (for
not reading the debs now) and debsign (for writeing them). apt-utils
should realy follow dpkgs lead and understand trailing '/'. Its such a
simple fix.
Allowing all the differences between ar files is another matter but
not realy important to debs since they are not supposed to have long
names.
MfG
Goswin
PS: a bug with patch for debsigs is comming too, apt-utils is not the only one.
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