Package: net-tools
Version: 2.10-1.1
Severity: minor
Tags: patch

   * What led up to the situation?

     Checking for defects with

test-[g|n]roff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -ww -b -z < "man page"

  [Use "groff -e ' $' <file>" to find trailing spaces.]

  ["test-groff" is a script in the repository for "groff"; is not shipped]
(local copy and "troff" slightly changed by me).

  [The fate of "test-nroff" was decided in groff bug #55941.]

   * What was the outcome of this action?

troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':11
troff:<stdin>:11: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':13
troff:<stdin>:13: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':14
troff:<stdin>:14: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':20
troff:<stdin>:20: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':24
troff:<stdin>:24: warning: trailing space in the line


   * What outcome did you expect instead?

     No output (no warnings).

-.-

  General remarks and further material, if a diff-file exist, are in the
attachments.


-- System Information:
Debian Release: trixie/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 6.11.5-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=is_IS.iso88591, LC_CTYPE=is_IS.iso88591 (charmap=ISO-8859-1), 
LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: sysvinit (via /sbin/init)

Versions of packages net-tools depends on:
ii  libc6        2.40-3
ii  libselinux1  3.7-3

net-tools recommends no packages.

net-tools suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information
  Any program (person), that produces man pages, should check the output
for defects by using (both groff and nroff)

[gn]roff -mandoc -t -ww -b -z -K utf8  <man page>

  The same goes for man pages that are used as an input.

  For a style guide use

  mandoc -T lint

-.-

  So any 'generator' should check its products with the above mentioned
'groff', 'mandoc',  and additionally with 'nroff ...'.

  This is just a simple quality control measure.

  The 'generator' may have to be corrected to get a better man page,
the source file may, and any additional file may.

  Common defects:

  Input text line longer than 80 bytes.

  Not removing trailing spaces (in in- and output).
  The reason for these trailing spaces should be found and eliminated.

  Not beginning each input sentence on a new line.
Lines should thus be shorter.

  See man-pages(7), item 'semantic newline'.

-.-

The difference between the formatted output of the original and patched file
can be seen with:

  nroff -mandoc <file1> > <out1>
  nroff -mandoc <file2> > <out2>
  diff -u <out1> <out2>

and for groff, using

"printf '%s\n%s\n' '.kern 0' '.ss 12 0' | groff -mandoc -Z - "

instead of 'nroff -mandoc'

  Add the option '-t', if the file contains a table.

  Read the output of 'diff -u' with 'less -R' or similar.

-.-.

  If 'man' (man-db) is used to check the manual for warnings,
the following must be set:

  The option "-warnings=w"

  The environmental variable:

export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)

  or

  (produce only warnings):

export MANROFFOPT="-ww -b -z"

export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)

-.-.

Output from "mandoc -T lint nameif.8": (possibly shortened list)

mandoc: nameif.8:9:11: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:11:6: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:13:72: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:14:47: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:20:9: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:24:9: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: nameif.8:25:8: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line

-.-.

Remove space characters at the end of lines.

Use "git apply ... --whitespace=fix" to fix extra space issues, or use
global configuration "core.whitespace".

9:.B nameif 
11:given 
13:is read. Each line  of it contains an interface name and a Ethernet MAC 
14:address. Comments are allowed starting with #. 
20:When the 
24:When the 
25:.I \-c 

-.-.

Wrong distance between sentences in the input file.

  Separate the sentences and subordinate clauses; each begins on a new
line.  See man-pages(7) ("Conventions for source file layout") and
"info groff" ("Input Conventions").

  The best procedure is to always start a new sentence on a new line,
at least, if you are typing on a computer.

Remember coding: Only one command ("sentence") on each (logical) line.

E-mail: Easier to quote exactly the relevant lines.

Generally: Easier to edit the sentence.

Patches: Less unaffected text.

Search for two adjacent words is easier, when they belong to the same line,
and the same phrase.

  The amount of space between sentences in the output can then be
controlled with the ".ss" request.


10:renames network interfaces based on mac addresses. When no arguments are
13:is read. Each line  of it contains an interface name and a Ethernet MAC 
14:address. Comments are allowed starting with #. 

-.-.

Output from "test-groff  -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -ww -b -z ":

troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':11
troff:<stdin>:11: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':13
troff:<stdin>:13: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':14
troff:<stdin>:14: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':20
troff:<stdin>:20: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':24
troff:<stdin>:24: warning: trailing space in the line

--- nameif.8    2024-11-12 01:36:48.162033398 +0000
+++ nameif.8.new        2024-11-12 02:01:27.604863517 +0000
@@ -2,27 +2,28 @@
 .SH NAME
 nameif \- name network interfaces based on MAC addresses
 .SH SYNOPSIS
-.B "nameif [\-c configfile] [\-s]"
+.BR nameif " [" \-c " \fIconfigfile\fR] [" \-s ]
 .br
-.B "nameif [\-c configfile] [\-s] {interface macaddress}"
+.BR nameif " [" \-c " \fIconfigfile\fR] [" \-s ] "\fR {\fIinterface 
macaddress\fR}"
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-.B nameif 
-renames network interfaces based on mac addresses. When no arguments are
-given 
+.B nameif
+renames network interfaces based on mac addresses.
+When no arguments are given
 .I /etc/mactab
-is read. Each line  of it contains an interface name and a Ethernet MAC 
-address. Comments are allowed starting with #. 
+is read.
+Each line of it contains an interface name and a Ethernet MAC address.
+Comments are allowed starting with #.
 Otherwise the interfaces specified on the command line are processed.
 .I nameif
 looks for the interface with the given MAC address and renames it to the
 name given.
 
-When the 
-.I \-s
+When the
+.B \-s
 argument is given all error messages go to the syslog.
 
-When the 
-.I \-c 
+When the
+.B \-c
 argument is given with a file name that file is read instead of /etc/mactab.
 
 .SH NOTES

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