[Refdb-devel] refdb-elisp

[David N. <dav...@sw...>]

Hi Markus,

I just made a first pass at packaging refdb-elisp as a Debian package 
and have some feedback:


1.  Makefile document directory

I had to alter Makefile.am: change
    docdir = $(datadir)/doc/$(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)
to
    docdir = $(datadir)/doc/$(PACKAGE)

If you do not do this the documentation is split between 
/usr/share/doc/refdb-elisp and /usr/share/doc/refdb-elisp-1.0.  Further, 
the debian (dwww) document registration script gets confused.


2.  Install directory

AM_PATH_LISPDIR gives the install directory /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp 
which is where the *.el and resulting *.elc files are installed.  
Unfortunately, the buildpackage emacsen install scripts expect these 
files to be installed in /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/${PACKAGE}.

I used the --with-lispdir configure option to force the install into 
that subdirectory.


3.  Compile error

The following error occurs at compile time:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While compiling refdb-getnote-by-field-on-region in file 
/usr/share/emacs21/site-lisp/refdb-elisp/refdb-mode.el:
  ** Malformed let binding: `(concat refdb-regexp-query-string (value 
(buffer-substring (mark) (point))) refdb-regexp-query-string)'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


4.  Persistence of /usr/local

There is the usual Debian trouble with /usr/local and /usr.  Although I 
configured with 'prefix=/usr' I get the following warnings twice during 
emacs package install:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warning: Lisp directory `/usr/local/share/emacs/21.4/site-lisp' does not 
exist.
Warning: Lisp directory `/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp' does not exist.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.  Inappropriate hard-coded values in refdb-mode

95:   ;;    load path (e.g. /usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp), or add
to:   ;;    load path (e.g. /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp), or add

877:  (defcustom refdb-rtf-view-program 
"/usr/local/OpenOffice.org1.1.4/program/swriter"
to:   (defcustom refdb-rtf-view-program "/usr/bin/oowriter"

5125: (let* ((globalconfig-localpath (format "/usr/local/etc/refdb/%s" 
globalconfig-file))
to:   (let* ((globalconfig-localpath (format "/etc/refdb/%s" 
globalconfig-file))

5205: (refdbdrc-localpath "/usr/local/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")
to:   (refdbdrc-localpath "/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")

5446: (let* ((refdbdrc-localpath "/usr/local/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")
to:   (let* ((refdbdrc-localpath "/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")

5618: (refdbdrc-localpath "/usr/local/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")
to:   (refdbdrc-localpath "/etc/refdb/refdbdrc")


6.  ?? Failure

After installation of the package I was unable to load either mode.  
This could easily be due to my _complete_ ignorance of emacs.


I'll send you the package off-list.  Please try it on your Debian system 
and let me know if it works.

Regards,
David.