[MinGW-dvlpr] groff package in MSYS -- pdfroff fails dismally

[Keith M. <kei...@us...>]

Chuck,

Where did you get the source for the groff-1.20.1 in MSYS?

I ask because, while setting up a new machine at work, I thought that
I would give it a try, rather than seek out a backup of my own native
build, but after

  mingw-get install msys-man-bin
  mingw-get install msys-groff-doc msys-groff-ext

and having also installed the PortableApps.com version of GhostScript,
pdfroff refused to run, (failing on a mktemp command invocation).

Now, I *know* that pdfroff isn't *supposed* to require mktemp; (I know
this because *I* am the original author).  On investigating, I notice
that the pdfroff in msys-groff-ext includes a Debian patch which I
rejected upstream; I rejected it because I knew it was going to break
any platform which didn't provide mktemp, (and, at the time, MSYS was
one such platform).

I know we do, now, provide an msys-mktemp implementation, so the Q&D fix
could be to add the dependency to msys-groff-ext, but I really would
prefer a distribution based on original FSF source, not polluted by
inappropriate Debian patches; when I replace the broken version of
pdfroff, from the MSYS package, with a rebuild from my own CVS working
copy, all works as it should, with no need for mktemp, (although it will
use it, if it is installed).

-- 
Regards,
Keith.