Package: exim4-base
Version: 4.98-2
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>':27
troff:<stdin>:27: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':33
troff:<stdin>:33: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':39
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: trailing space in the line
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -ww -b -z ":
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':27
troff:<stdin>:27: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':33
troff:<stdin>:33: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':39
troff:<stdin>:39: 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 exim4-base depends on:
ii adduser 3.137
ii anacron 2.3-40
ii cron [cron-daemon] 3.0pl1-189
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.87
ii exim4-config [exim4-config-2] 4.98-2
ii libc6 2.40-3
ii libdb5.3t64 5.3.28+dfsg2-9
ii libfile-fcntllock-perl 0.22-4+b4
ii netbase 6.4
ii perl 5.40.0-6
Versions of packages exim4-base recommends:
pn bsd-mailx | mailx <none>
ii psmisc 23.7-1
Versions of packages exim4-base suggests:
pn exim4-doc-html | exim4-doc-info <none>
pn eximon4 <none>
ii file 1:5.45-3+b1
ii mutt [mail-reader] 2.2.13-1
ii neomutt [mail-reader] 20241002+dfsg-1
ii openssl 3.3.2-2
pn spf-tools-perl <none>
pn swaks <none>
-- debconf information excluded
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 exiwhat.8": (possibly shortened list)
mandoc: exiwhat.8:27:28: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: exiwhat.8:33:31: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: exiwhat.8:39:16: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: exiwhat.8:67:4: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
mandoc: exiwhat.8:70:4: STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
-.-.
Use "git apply ... --whitespace=fix" to fix extra space issues, or use
global configuration "core.whitespace".
27:signal (most modern OS), an
33:script sends the signal to all
39:In order to run
67:.TP
70:.TP
-.-.
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.
91:This manual page needs a major re-work. If somebody knows better groff
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -ww -b -z ":
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':27
troff:<stdin>:27: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':33
troff:<stdin>:33: warning: trailing space in the line
troff: backtrace: file '<stdin>':39
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: trailing space in the line
--- exiwhat.8 2024-11-09 22:43:01.182176388 +0000
+++ exiwhat.8.new 2024-11-09 22:48:37.834230723 +0000
@@ -24,19 +24,19 @@ exiwhat \- Finding out what Exim process
.SH DESCRIPTION
On operating systems that can restart a system call after receiving a
-signal (most modern OS), an
+signal (most modern OS), an
.B Exim
process responds to the SIGUSR1 signal by writing a line describing what
it is doing to the file exim\-process.info in the Exim spool directory.
The
.B exiwhat
-script sends the signal to all
+script sends the signal to all
.B Exim
processes it can find, having first emptied the file.
It then waits for one second to allow the
.B Exim
processes to react before displaying the results.
-In order to run
+In order to run
.B exiwhat
successfully you have to have sufficient privilege to send the signal to
the
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ the command for running \(lqps\(rq
.TP
.I EXIWHAT_PS_ARG
the argument for \(lqps\(rq
-.TP
+.TP
.I EXIWHAT_EGREP_ARG
the argument for \(lqegrep\(rq to select from \(lqps\(rq output
-.TP
+.TP
.I EXIWHAT_KILL_ARG
the argument for the \(lqkill\(rq command
.PP
@@ -88,9 +88,10 @@ The first number in the output line is t
The third line has been split here, in order to fit it on the page.
.SH BUGS
-This manual page needs a major re-work. If somebody knows better groff
-than us and has more experience in writing manual pages, any patches
-would be greatly appreciated.
+This manual page needs a major re-work.
+If somebody knows better groff than us and
+has more experience in writing manual pages,
+any patches would be greatly appreciated.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR exim (8),
