Package: dpkg-dev
Version: 1.22.18
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
grep -n -e ' $' -e '\\~$' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <file>
to find (most) 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>:116: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:119: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:232: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:237: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
troff:<stdin>:240: warning [page 3, line 11]: cannot break line; overset by 23n
* 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 6.12.21-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 dpkg-dev depends on:
ii binutils 2.44-3
ii bzip2 1.0.8-6
ii libdpkg-perl 1.22.18
ii make 4.4.1-2
ii patch 2.7.6-7
ii perl 5.40.1-2
ii tar 1.35+dfsg-3.1
ii xz-utils 5.8.1-1
Versions of packages dpkg-dev recommends:
pn build-essential <none>
ii clang-18 [c-compiler] 1:18.1.8-17
ii clang-19 [c-compiler] 1:19.1.7-3
ii fakeroot 1.37.1.1-1
ii gcc [c-compiler] 4:14.2.0-1
ii gcc-13 [c-compiler] 13.3.0-13
ii gcc-14 [c-compiler] 14.2.0-19
ii gnupg 2.2.46-6
ii gpgv 2.2.46-6
pn libalgorithm-merge-perl <none>
Versions of packages dpkg-dev suggests:
pn debian-keyring <none>
-- no debconf information
Input file is deb-control.5
Output from "mandoc -T lint deb-control.5": (shortened list)
1 empty block: RS
1 input text line longer than 80 bytes: The known priorities...
-.-.
Output from
test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z deb-control.5: (shortened list)
1 cannot break line; overset by 23n
-.-.
Show if Pod::Man generated this.
Who is actually creating this man page? Debian or upstream?
Is the generating software out of date?
2:.\" Automatically generated by Pod::Man 5.0102 (Pod::Simple 3.45)
-.-.
Strings longer than 3/4 of a standard line length (80).
Use "\:" to split the string at the end of an output line, for example a
long URL (web address).
This is a groff extension.
240
<https://salsa.debian.org/installer\-team/debian\-installer/\-/raw/master/doc/devel/modules.txt>.
-.-.
Split lines longer than 80 characters into two or more lines.
Appropriate break points are the end of a sentence and a subordinate
clause; after punctuation marks.
Add "\:" to split the string for the output, "\<newline>" in the source.
Line 137, length 89
The known priorities are \fBrequired\fR, \fBimportant\fR, \fBstandard\fR,
\fBoptional\fR,
Line 150, length 81
\&\fBdpkg\fR\|(1) or any other installation tool will not allow a
\fBProtected\fR
Line 160, length 82
\&\fBdpkg\fR\|(1) or any other installation tool will not allow an
\fBEssential\fR
Line 240, length 97
<https://salsa.debian.org/installer\-team/debian\-installer/\-/raw/master/doc/devel/modules.txt>.
Longest line is number 240 with 97 characters
-.-.
Remove unnecessary double font change (e.g., \fR\fI) in a row or (better)
use a two-fonts macro.
184:used format is \fIbts-type\fR\fB://\fR\fIbts-address\fR, like
222:.IP "\fBSource:\fR \fIsource-name\fR [\fB(\fR\fIsource-version\fR\fB)\fR]" 4
-.-.
Add a zero (0) in front of a decimal fraction that begins with a period
(.)
7:.if t .sp .5v
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
deb-control.5:105:It may also include a Debian revision number (for non-native
packages).
deb-control.5:121:first line (after the \fBDescription\fR field).
deb-control.5:151:package to be removed (at least not without using one of the
force options).
deb-control.5:161:package to be removed (at least not without using one of the
force options).
deb-control.5:248:field aren't installed (at least not without using the force
options).
deb-control.5:284:of packages separated by vertical bar (or \(lqpipe\(rq)
symbols,
deb-control.5:294:(since dpkg 1.16.5) or \fBany\fR (since dpkg 1.16.2).
deb-control.5:341:is a list of package names, separated by commas (and optional
whitespace).
deb-control.5:376:is a list of package names, separated by commas (and optional
whitespace).
deb-control.5:380:An optional exact (equal to) version can also be given with
the same
deb-control.5:381:syntax as above (honored since dpkg 1.17.11).
deb-control.5:410:this binary packages was built with (since dpkg 1.17.2 until
1.18.18).
deb-control.5:438:\& Pre\-Depends: libc6 (>= 2.0.105)
-.-.
Only one space character is after a possible end of sentence
(after a punctuation, that can end a sentence).
deb-control.5:447:\& look at every character. The result is typically many
times faster
deb-control.5:448:\& than Unix grep or egrep. (Regular expressions containing
backreferencing
-.-.
Remove quotes when there is a printable
but no space character between them
and the quotes are not for emphasis (markup),
for example as an argument to a macro.
deb-control.5:66:.IX Header "SYNOPSIS"
deb-control.5:69:.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
deb-control.5:90:.IX Header "FIELDS"
deb-control.5:389:.IX Header "EXAMPLE"
deb-control.5:412:.IX Header "BUGS"
-.-.
Use ".na" (no adjustment) instead of ".ad l" (and ".ad" to begin the
same adjustment again as before).
61:.if n .ad l
-.-.
Add lines to use the CR font for groff instead of CW.
.if t \{\
. ie \\n(.g .ft CR
. el .ft CW
.\}
11:.ft CW
-.-.
Section headings (.SH and .SS) do not need quoting their arguments.
456:.SH "SEE ALSO"
-.-.
Put a (long) web address on a new line to reduce the posibility of
splitting the address between two output lines.
Or inhibit hyphenation with "\%" in front of the name.
240:<https://salsa.debian.org/installer\-team/debian\-installer/\-/raw/master/doc/devel/modules.txt>.
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z
":
an.tmac:<stdin>:116: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:119: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:232: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:237: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z
":
an.tmac:<stdin>:116: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:119: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:232: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
an.tmac:<stdin>:237: style: use of deprecated macro: .PD
troff:<stdin>:240: warning [page 3, line 11]: cannot break line; overset by 23n
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
--- deb-control.5 2025-04-13 01:28:59.602396612 +0000
+++ deb-control.5.new 2025-04-13 01:59:31.627618624 +0000
@@ -237,7 +237,16 @@ setting a different binary version via \
.PD
These fields are used by the debian-installer and are usually not needed.
For more details about them, see
-<https://salsa.debian.org/installer\-team/debian\-installer/\-/raw/master/doc/devel/modules.txt>.
+.br
+.ie \n(.g \{\
+<https://salsa.debian.org/\:installer\-team/\:debian\-installer/\:\-/\:raw/\:master/\:doc/\:devel/\:modules.txt>.
+.\}
+.el \{\
+.nf
+<https://salsa.debian.org/installer\-team/debian\-installer/\-/raw/master
+/doc/devel/modules.txt>.
+.fi
+.\}
.IP "\fBDepends:\fR \fIpackage-list\fR" 4
.IX Item "Depends: package-list"
List of packages that are required for this package to provide a
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>
To find trailing space use
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <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)
-.-
