[xml/sgml-pkgs] Bug#273600: please use libxercesicu23 instead of libxerces23

[Jay Berkenbilt]

After discussing this on IRC and spending a few hours doing various
tests, we've decided not to change the xerces packages right now.  To
support additional encodings, please use libxercesicu23 (or 24, 25,
26) instead of libxerces23 (24, 25, 26).  As you pointed out, you will
need to install the icu package to make this work.

We didn't reach this conclusion lightly -- we actually built versions
with the IconvGNU transcoder and tested again on powerpc where the
previous problems had been.  Although a standalone application that
uses this transcoder works, we were still unable to get xerces to work
properly on with the gnu transcoder on powerpc.  However, the specific
examples you posted do actually work with the icu version of the
transcoder.

When xerces26 is uploaded in a few days, its description and
README.Debian files will clearly distinguish between the icu and
native versions of the package.  I have also added a Recommends: on
icu.  After discussing with the release team, I have decided not to
upload new versions of xerces{23,24,25} this close to the release just
to get the Recommends: and description updated, though I have made the
changes in the packages, so if there is another reason to do an
upload, these changes will be in.

After sarge is released, we will revisit this issue.  The current plan
is to release only one version of the xerces libraries based on a more
current version of icu than the one there now, and to have the icu
version be the only version.  If this version also requires loading of
additional support files to get external encodings to work, this fact
will be documented in the package.

I'm sorry that this resolution isn't exactly what you were expecting,
but I hope you'll agree that a workable solution has been provided (at
the unfortunate but admittedly small cost of 6 MB and one extra
package to be loaded) and understand the risk of making this change so
close to the release and having to again revert it if the underlying
problem can't be fixed or resurfaces.

Thanks again for your report.  I'll leave this bug report open for now
pending a more final resolution.

-- 
Jay Berkenbilt <ejb@ql.org>
http://www.ql.org/q/