[Bash-completion-devel] Bug#498474: Bug#498474: moreinfo

[David Paleino]

clone 498474 -1
retitle -1 Please write a manpage describing /etc/bash_completion.d/ and bash-completion
severity -1 wishlist
thanks

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:54:22 +0100, Neil Williams wrote:

> As I've shown, bash completion works perfectly well with and without the
> bash-completion package on my test systems. I'm beginning to think that
> bash should take more responsibility for checking the contents
> of /etc/bash_completion.d/ and documenting how to use it.
> 
> [..]
> 

> > > I've read the reportbug instructions and thought twice about what
> > > severity to choose and finally I choose what seemed the best fit based on
> > > my observations. Is the "grave" severity badly described in reportbug?
> > > Fix it! You are the developers after all! </rant>
> > 
> > Probably it's badly described, after all ;)
> 
> I'm not sure reportbug can do that much more - it does need to cover all
> packages after all.

Agreed.

> The problem is that this is not a bug in bash-completion, it is a bug in a
> package that uses bash-completion. As such, it is unlikely that the package
> at fault absolutely relies upon bash-completion and cannot possibly operate
> without it.

Well, the only thing bash-completion is needed for is:

[ -n "$BASH_COMPLETION" ] || BASH_COMPLETION=/etc/bash_completion
[ -n "$BASH_COMPLETION_DIR" ] || BASH_COMPLETION_DIR=/etc/bash_completion.d
readonly BASH_COMPLETION BASH_COMPLETION_DIR

Otherwise, the scripts in /etc/bash_completion.d/ are stand-alone (i.e. one
might source them directly)

> [..]
> 
> Therefore, this is a wishlist bug in bash-completion seeking better
> documentation (an explicit manpage for /etc/bash_completion.d/ or a
> general manpage for bash-completion that clearly
> documents /etc/bash_completion.d/ and explains that other packages put files
> into it.).

I'll work on it :)
(see cloned bug above)

> The bash manpage is extremely long (as one would expect) but I
> couldn't find any mention of /etc/bash_completion.d/ in it.
> (/etc/bash_completion.d/ works even without bash-completion itself being
> installed so maybe this bug is a bug in bash rather than bash-completion
> after all and could be reassigned as wishlist against bash, preferably asking
> for a separate manpage to cover completion and bash_completion.d/.) That is a
> choice left to the maintainer. ;-)

Uhm... I'm not that sure that bash_completion.d/ files work without
bash-completion being installed -- but I haven't tried.
I'd happily write a manpage, when I get some time :)

> At the same time, the bug needs to be cloned and reassigned to whichever
> package is responsible for the broken file in /etc/bash_completion.d/ -
> depending on the package, this could be a bug of severity important,
> normal or minor.

I'll do that as soon as Lucio gives some more info ;)

> [..]
> 
> The bit about breaking unrelated software does not apply to this bug - [..]
> [..]                                                  True, maybe bash
> could be more intelligent about parsing files
> in /etc/bash_completion.d/, maybe dh_bash-completion should be extended
> to support error parsing during builds

Yes. But, well, I introduced dh_bash-completion just recently, and probably
no-one knows of its existence.
Also, I see it difficult to "parse" package-provided scripts for errors -- but
I just should try to get my hands dirty before saying anything ;)

>                                        and be brought fully within
> debhelper so that it can be made a compulsory step in using
> bash_completion (I have several completion scripts and have never used
> dh_bash-completion because it means build-depending on bash-completion).

I know that would be a problem, because it Depends: on bash (and that's a
useless dependency in this case)... that's why I created a dh-bash-completion
package in first instance, but then Luk Claes (who is working with me on the
code) opted for including it in bash-completion :(

I hope it will eventually be included in debhelper :)


Thanks for clarifying the problem to Lucio,
David

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