Re: Docs in split packages

Hi Markus,

Markus Hoenicka wrote:
> Well, a third approach is to build the docs as a separate package and make both
> the client and the server package depend on it. This would require a few minor
> changes to configure.in.
>
> Could you please check whether the Debian policy has specific requirements for
> the docs?

There is no absolute requirement in Debian that general documentation be 
installed with the main application files.  In fact, it is not uncommon 
to have a 'widget' package and an accompanying, recommended but not 
dependent, package called 'widget-doc'.

I've just built a version of refdb using 'disable-server' and 
'disable-clients' to see if I could produce a document-only install that 
might form the basis of a debian package.  I note one major and one 
minor problem.  The minor first: the install includes the file 
'refdb-manual.fo'.  It is over 3 MB in size and not needed as the pdf 
version installs also.

The major problem is the man pages build as part of the documentation 
and not alongside the client or server.  I quite understand why you 
designed it this way.  Unfortunately, it violates an inflexible Debian 
rule that any executable installing to one of the recognised bin 
directories MUST have an accompanying man page.  If you could alter the 
man page build such that their inclusion depends on the 
'disable-[clients|server]' flags (and ditch 'refdb-manual.fo') it would 
be quite simple to build a 'refdb-doc' package alongside 'refdb-clients' 
and 'refdb-server'.

Regards,
David.

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