Package: bsdextrautils
Version: 2.40.4-5
Severity: minor
Tags: upstream
* 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?
<stdin>:1: warning: table wider than line length minus indentation
an.tmac:<stdin>:366: warning: .l = 1584u = 66n = 66m, .i = 192u, TW (table width) = 1440u = 60n = 60m
* 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 bsdextrautils depends on:
ii libc6 2.41-4
ii libsmartcols1 2.40.4-5
ii libtinfo6 6.5+20250216-2
bsdextrautils recommends no packages.
bsdextrautils suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
Output from "mandoc -T lint hexdump.1": (shortened list)
1 input text line longer than 80 bytes: A byte count or fiel...
[...]
1 skipping insecure request: mso
2 skipping paragraph macro: br after sp
10 skipping paragraph macro: sp after SH
3 skipping paragraph macro: sp after SS
1 skipping unknown macro: LINKSTYLE blue R < >
-.-.
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z hexdump.1": (shortened list)
1 .l = 1584u = 66n = 66m, .i = 192u, TW (table width) = 1440u = 60n = 60m
1 table wider than line length minus indentation
-.-.
Lines containing '\c':
501:For bug reports, use the issue tracker at \c
502-.URL "https://github.com/util\-linux/util\-linux/issues"; "" "."
--
505:The \fBhexdump\fP command is part of the util\-linux package which can be downloaded from \c
506-.URL "https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util\-linux/"; "Linux Kernel Archive" "."
Are not needed!
-.-.
Show if asciidoctor generated this.
Who is actually generating this man page? Debian or upstream?
Is the generating software out of date?
4:.\" Generator: Asciidoctor 2.0.20
N.B. Outdated version, current is 2.0.23.
-.-.
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.
153:.ll -.6i
247:.ll -.6i
478:.ll -.6i
487:.ll -.6i
Output line gets shorter with each call.
What is the purpose?
Comments are missing!
Generators of man pages should not change the line length in any way!
-.-.
Wrong distance (not two spaces) 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.
Mark a final abbreviation point as such by suffixing it with "\&".
Some sentences (etc.) do not begin on a new line.
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
Lines with only one (or two) space(s) between sentences could be split,
so latter sentences begin on a new line.
Use
#!/usr/bin/sh
sed -e '/^\./n' \
-e 's/\([[:alpha:]]\)\. */\1.\n/g' $1
to split lines after a sentence period.
Check result with the difference between the formatted outputs.
See also the attachment "general.bugs"
[List of affected lines removed.]
-.-
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.
[List of affected lines removed.]
Longest line is: 474 characters.
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
[List of affected lines removed.]
-.-
No space is needed before a quote (") at the end of a line
445: "%06.6_ao " 12/1 "%3_u "
446: "\(rst" "%_p "
-.-.
Only one space character after a possible end of sentence
(after a punctuation, that can end a sentence).
[List of affected lines removed.]
-.-
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
[List of affected lines removed.]
-.-.
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.
hexdump.1:10:.TH "HEXDUMP" "1" "2024-12-16" "util\-linux 2.40.4" "User Commands"
hexdump.1:31:.SH "NAME"
hexdump.1:33:.SH "SYNOPSIS"
hexdump.1:38:.SH "DESCRIPTION"
hexdump.1:41:.SH "OPTIONS"
hexdump.1:121:.SH "FORMATS"
hexdump.1:371:.SS "Colors"
hexdump.1:400:.SS "Counters"
hexdump.1:438:.SH "EXAMPLES"
hexdump.1:473:.SH "COLORS"
hexdump.1:502:.URL "https://github.com/util\-linux/util\-linux/issues"; "" "."
hexdump.1:503:.SH "AVAILABILITY"
hexdump.1:506:.URL "https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util\-linux/"; "Linux Kernel Archive" "."
-.-.
Use ".na" (no adjustment) instead of ".ad l" (and ".ad" to begin the
same adjustment again as before).
15:.ad l
23:. ad l
26:. ad l
-.-.
Section headings (.SH and .SS) do not need quoting their arguments.
31:.SH "NAME"
33:.SH "SYNOPSIS"
38:.SH "DESCRIPTION"
41:.SH "OPTIONS"
121:.SH "FORMATS"
218:.SS "Conversion strings"
371:.SS "Colors"
400:.SS "Counters"
432:.SH "EXIT STATUS"
435:.SH "CONFORMING TO"
438:.SH "EXAMPLES"
473:.SH "COLORS"
499:.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
503:.SH "AVAILABILITY"
-.-.
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.
502:.URL "https://github.com/util\-linux/util\-linux/issues"; "" "."
506:.URL "https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util\-linux/"; "Linux Kernel Archive" "."
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z ":
<stdin>:1: warning: table wider than line length minus indentation
an.tmac:<stdin>:366: warning: .l = 1584u = 66n = 66m, .i = 192u, TW (table width) = 1440u = 60n = 60m
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
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)
-.-
