Package: mpack
Version: 1.6-18+b2
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
* What led up to the situation?
Checking for defects with a new version
test-[g|n]roff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z < "man
page"
[Use "groff -e ' $' -e '\\~$' <file>" to find obvious 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?
an.tmac:<stdin>:1: style: .TH missing third argument; consider document
modification date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
an.tmac:<stdin>:1: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project
name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
troff:<stdin>:76: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:78: warning: trailing space in the line
an.tmac:<stdin>:86: misuse, warning: .BI is for at least 2 arguments, got 1
Use macro '.B' for one argument or split argument.
troff:<stdin>:91: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:109: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:113: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:120: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:124: 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 6.12.17-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 mpack depends on:
ii libc6 2.41-4
mpack recommends no packages.
Versions of packages mpack suggests:
ii exim4-daemon-light [mail-transport-agent] 4.98.1-1
pn inews <none>
-- no debconf information
Input file is mpack.1
Output from "mandoc -T lint mpack.1": (shortened list)
1 missing date, using "": TH
1 skipping paragraph macro: PP empty
1 unterminated quoted argument
7 whitespace at end of input line
Remove trailing space with: sed -e 's/ *$//'
-.-.
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z mpack.1": (shortened list)
1 Use macro '.B' for one argument or split argument.
1 .BI is for at least 2 arguments, got 1
7 trailing space in the line
Remove trailing space with: sed -e 's/ *$//'
-.-.
Remove space characters (whitespace) at the end of lines.
Use "git apply ... --whitespace=fix" to fix extra space issues, or use
global configuration "core.whitespace".
Number of lines affected is
7
-.-.
Change a HYPHEN-MINUS (code 0x2D) to a minus(-dash) (\-),
if it
is in front of a name for an option,
is a symbol for standard input,
is a single character used to indicate an option,
or is in the NAME section (man-pages(7)).
N.B. - (0x2D), processed as a UTF-8 file, is changed to a hyphen
(0x2010, groff \[u2010] or \[hy]) in the output.
155:Default value of the -m switch.
-.-.
Find a repeated word
! 79 --> the
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
mpack.1:106:Split the message (if necessary) into partial messages, each not
-.-.
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
mpack.1:81:written to a named file or set of files, or posted to a set of
mpack.1:106:Split the message (if necessary) into partial messages, each not
mpack.1:111:environment variable, or no limit if the environment variable
mpack.1:133:If the message has to be split, the partial messages will instead be
-.-.
Section headings (.SH and .SS) do not need quoting their arguments.
156:.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z
":
an.tmac:<stdin>:1: style: .TH missing third argument; consider document
modification date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
an.tmac:<stdin>:1: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project
name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
troff:<stdin>:76: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:78: warning: trailing space in the line
an.tmac:<stdin>:86: misuse, warning: .BI is for at least 2 arguments, got 1
Use macro '.B' for one argument or split argument.
troff:<stdin>:91: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:109: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:113: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:120: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:124: warning: trailing space in the line
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
--- mpack.1 2025-03-19 16:01:06.507948232 +0000
+++ mpack.1.new 2025-03-19 16:10:42.832855233 +0000
@@ -73,22 +73,22 @@ mpack \- pack a file in MIME format
.I newsgroups
.I file
.SH DESCRIPTION
-The
+The
.I mpack
-program encodes the
-the named file in one or more MIME messages.
+program encodes the
+named file in one or more MIME messages.
The resulting messages are mailed to one or more recipients,
-written to a named file or set of files, or posted to a set of
-newsgroups.
+written to a named file or set of files,
+or posted to a set of newsgroups.
.PP
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
-.BI \-a
+.B \-a
Set the Content-Disposition to attachment. If \-a is not used
the Content-Disposition is inline.
.TP
.BI \-s " subject"
-Set the
+Set the
.B Subject
header field to
.IR Subject .
@@ -103,25 +103,28 @@ in an introductory section at the beginn
generated message.
.TP
.BI \-m " maxsize"
-Split the message (if necessary) into partial messages, each not
-exceeding
+Split the message
+(if necessary)
+into partial messages,
+each not exceeding
.I maxsize
-characters. The default limit is the value of the
+characters. The default limit is the value of the
.B SPLITSIZE
-environment variable, or no limit if the environment variable
-does not exist.
-Specifying a
+environment variable,
+or no limit
+if the environment variable does not exist.
+Specifying a
.I maxsize
of 0 means there is no limit to the size of the generated message.
.TP
.BI \-c " content-type"
Label the included file as being of MIME type
.IR content-type ,
-which must be a subtype of
+which must be a subtype of
.BR application ,
.BR audio ,
.BR image ,
-or
+or
.BR video .
If this switch is not given,
.B mpack
@@ -130,8 +133,8 @@ examines the file to determine its type.
.BI \-o " outputfile"
Write the generated message to the file
.IR outputfile .
-If the message has to be split, the partial messages will instead be
-written to the files
+If the message has to be split,
+the partial messages will instead be written to the files
.IR outputfile .01,
.IR outputfile .02,
etc.
@@ -152,6 +155,6 @@ Mail the generated messages to the speci
Directory to store temporary files. Default is /tmp.
.TP
.B SPLITSIZE
-Default value of the -m switch.
-.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
+Default value of the \-m switch.
+.SH REPORTING BUGS
Send all bug reports to mpack\-b...@andrew.cmu.edu.
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
-.-
Any "autogenerator" should check its products with the above mentioned
'groff', 'mandoc', and additionally with 'nroff ...'.
It should also check its input files for too long (> 80) lines.
This is just a simple quality control measure.
The "autogenerator" may have to be corrected to get a better man page,
the source file may, and any additional file may.
Common defects:
Not removing trailing spaces (in in- and output).
The reason for these trailing spaces should be found and eliminated.
"git" has a "tool" to point out whitespace,
see for example "git-apply(1)" and git-config(1)")
Not beginning each input sentence on a new line.
Line length and patch size should thus be reduced.
The script "reportbug" uses 'quoted-printable' encoding when a line is
longer than 1024 characters in an 'ascii' file.
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 -d -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 from 'diff -d -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)
-.-
