> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Christopher Faylor
> Sent: Tuesday, 11 June 2002 1:30 AM
> >I'd suggest not depending on the _install_info virtual
> package. It's a
> >neat hack, but IMO should a fallback, not the primary tool.
>
> Hmm. I'm not sure how Rob expects me to react to this, but this is
> pretty annoying.
I'm sorry you find it so.
> I'd suggest ignoring Rob's suggestion and relying on the _install_info
> package. It was specifically designed to eliminate the
> requirement for
> everyone and their brother to reinvent the wheel with their own
> postinstall scripts that rebuild the info directory.
But it only reacts when a package on sourceware is updated. That means
that test packages on peoples private sites must still have individual
install-info scripts. And that when someone reinstalls package foo (or
removes, waits a couple of weeks and installs again) in offline mode,
then they still need an install-info script.
And don't forget removal scripts to remove the entries from the
directory when the package is removed.
> The "hack" (thank you very much)
I did not mean "neat hack" in a derogatory sense. The install-info
requirement detecting code works. BUT. It's also an incomplete solution
- as any centralised solution will be in this case. Anything short of
adding an install-info postinstall script to each package on the fly
will be incomplete.
> is doing what computers are
> supposed to
> do. It's eliminating the burden of your having to do something and,
> more importantly, it's eliminating the possibility that you would do
> something wrong. You don't have to worry about figuring out how to
> run install-info. You don't have to worry about screwing up the 'dir'
> entry if you got it wrong. It's done for you automatically.
But not in the 2 cases above, which like it or not are not uncommon.
> (And, yes, I'm just *waiting* for the obvious response to this
> paragraph)
Whats the obvious response? (I'd hate to let you down :} ).
Rob