Package: libgtk2.0-common
Version: 2.2.4-3
Severity: normal
This is a semi-automated bug report based on scanning the contents of
binary .deb files in the unstable Debian archive.
The libgtk2.0-common packages seem to contain a very large amount of
architecture-independent data in architecture-dependent packages,
specifically data installed under /usr/share. This is wasteful of
mirror space and bandwidth, as we then end up with multiple copies of
this data, one for each architecture. Initial estimates suggest that
several gigabytes of Debian archive space may currently be wasted
because of packages like this.
The way to fix this depends on the layout of your package:
* Some packages need to have a -common or -doc package split out to
contain this common data, and the existing packages that need this
data should then be altered to depend on the new -common or -doc
package.
* This package may already be such a -common or -doc package, in
which case it probably should already be marked as Architecture:
all in your debian/control file rather than Architecture: any .
* Maybe the files under /usr/share do not belong there - several
packages seem to contain data in /usr/share that is definitely
architecture-dependent. In this case, please move the files into
the right place.
Policy is quite clear on this point:
http://www.debian.org/doc/developers-reference/ch-best-pkging-practices#s-bpp-archindepdata
The usage of these packages is currently:
debsize pkgsize /usr/share % filename
1608088 4652 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_alpha.deb
1606444 4644 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_arm.deb
1607636 4648 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_hppa.deb
1606578 4644 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_i386.deb
1608868 4656 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_ia64.deb
1615796 4644 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_m68k.deb
1615980 4652 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_mips.deb
1606840 4652 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_mipsel.deb
1618714 4652 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_powerpc.deb
1616396 4648 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_s390.deb
1615624 4644 4620 99 pool/main/g/gtk+2.0/libgtk2.0-common_2.2.4-3_sparc.deb
Please split this package appropriately. If you believe your package
is already split reasonably, then sorry for bothering you. If you wish
to discuss this further, please feel free to reply to this bug. If you
agree that there's a problem here but need help to fix it: again, feel
free to ask...
Thanks,
--
Steve McIntyre, Cambridge, UK. steve@einval.com