Is this with the distro package or with upstream packages?

upstream

Bjoern - looking for guidance on this one still. Thanks!

Fridrich, any chance you can take a look :-)

(In reply to comment #0)

> Since the debian-menus package from libreoffice 4RC1 and libreoffice3.6 are
> mutually incompatible, (...)

IMO, *that* is the real problem. There is no good reason for them to conflict.

Here's what should happen, file per file:

FILE DEBIAN/control:

now has:

 Provides: libreoffice-desktop-integration, libreoffice-unbundled
 Conflicts: libreoffice-desktop-integration, libreoffice-debian-menus, libreoffice-bundled
 Replaces: libreoffice-desktop-integration, libreoffice-debian-menus

should have (example for package lodev4.0, should be replaced by base package name):

 Provides: libreoffice-desktop-integration, lodev4.0-desktop-integration, libreoffice-unbundled
 Conflicts: libreoffice-debian-menus, libreoffice-bundled
 Replaces: libreoffice-desktop-integration, libreoffice-debian-menus

OR (if necessary for some reason, I don't think so)

 Provides: libreoffice-desktop-integration, lodev4.0-desktop-integration, libreoffice-unbundled
 Conflicts: lodev4.0-desktop-integration, libreoffice-debian-menus, libreoffice-bundled
 Replaces: libreoffice-desktop-integration, libreoffice-debian-menus

I don't know what "libreoffice-bundled", "libreoffice-unbundled" and "libreoffice-debian-menus" are about, so for now don't touch them. I have a hunch that at least libreoffice-debian-menus should be removed.


FILE usr/lib/menu/lodev-debian-menus: rename to usr/lib/menu/lodev4.0-debian-menus (that is the VERSIONED name)

In this way, there will be menu entries for EACH libreoffice version installed.

(In reply to comment #5)
> (In reply to comment #0)
> FILE usr/lib/menu/lodev-debian-menus: rename to
> usr/lib/menu/lodev4.0-debian-menus (that is the VERSIONED name)

Actually, that file should go to usr/share/menu/, not usr/lib/menu/

And it uses outdated sections. The sections list is at http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/menu-policy/ch2.html

Basically Apps -> Applications, and then the substructure has changed.

I'd say just copy from the Debian-provided packages...

Created attachment 74362 [details]
Debian-provided menu file for LibO Base (for inspiration)

Created attachment 74363 [details]
Debian-provided menu entries for all applications (for inspiration)

(In reply to comment #0)

> Furthermore a simple /usr/bin/libreoffice link (with no version appended,
> maybe managed via the alternatives mechanism) is missing. This means that
> any script invoking libreoffice must be manually updated at every
> libreoffice update.

This would make them not coinstallable with the Debian-provided packages. If the Debian-provided packages switch to an alternatives-managed symlink, then yes, we can participate in that schema. René, would you be willing to make /usr/bin/libreoffice (and friends?) an alternatives-managed symlink?

Failing that, all we can do is in our .debs, would maybe have a separate package "lodev4.0-make-default" which would install the symlink and in its control file:

Provides: libreoffice-default-version
Conflicts: libreoffice-common, libreoffice-default-version
Depends: lodev4.0

Then one and exactly one of these "make this version the default" (or the Debian-provided package) can be installed at the same time, and this one will have the /usr/bin/libreoffice symlink.

I'm going to go ahead and mark this one as NEW as it seems like it's been confirmed by Lionel

> Debian-provided packages switch to an alternatives-managed symlink, then yes,
> we can participate in that schema. René, would you be willing to make
> /usr/bin/libreoffice (and friends?) an alternatives-managed symlink?

So that people install the "packages" from upstream site, change the alternative, forget about that and report bugs they get when invoking "libreoffice" to the debian packages?

I don't think we should do that.

or imagine a new or changed version and version-mix between upstream and Debian packages. It will break on one of them.

That's also the reason why I said "no" to http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=695916

That said, I don't mind if upstream packages and Debian package conflict, afair they even do right now :-)

Explanation about the missing unversioned /usr/bin/libreoffice link is totally convincing for me. I would avoid the lodev4.0-make-default package if it is meant to hold just one link. It is easier to create a single symlink in /usr/local/bin than to install a package.

But I still would move the versioned link such as /usr/bin/libreoffice4.0 away from the debian-menu packages. In the end you might want that even if you do not want to have libreoffice in the menus (e.g. because you are using it in headless mode for document format conversion).