GNU bug report logs - #24105
git package misses man pages

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From: Andreas Enge <andreas <at> enge.fr>
To: 24105 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#24105: git package misses man pages
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 14:46:23 +0200

Hello,

wondering why "git log --help" does not work, I thought that maybe there
was a different doc output. But the man pages are actually hidden in a
separate package called "git-manpages". This is surprising for the user.
Also, the resulting package is quite small with only 2.3 MB.

The reason for the separate package is given as this:
  ;; Granted, we could build the man pages from the 'git' package itself,
  ;; which contains the real source.  However, it would add a dependency on a
  ;; full XML tool chain, and building it actually takes ages.  So we use this
  ;; lazy approach.
Building will most of the time happen on the build farm, so the time it
takes should not be an issue. I suppose that the xml tool chain will only
be a native and not a normal input, so it should not be too much of a problem.

I suggest to include the man pages into the git package itself. If building
them is a real issue, adding a source and the build phase of git-manpages
to the git package itself could also be an option.

Thanks!

Andreas

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