Bug#752521: Misleading man page statements and command names

Thomas Hood jdthood at gmail.com
Tue Jun 24 13:46:17 BST 2014


Package: dh-systemd
Version: 1.18
Severity: minor

It is conventional to choose command names that express what the command
does. Accordingly, it is conventional for debhelper command names to
express what they do. For example, the dh_installinit command installs init
files into package build directories.

The dh-systemd package departs from this convention and gives its two
debhelper scripts names that don't express what THEY do, but what the
maintainer scripts that they generate do. The name of the dh_systemd_start
script would conventionally be interpreted to suggest that the command
starts something. But a debhelper command can do no such thing; it cannot
start a service. It can only operate on a package. What it does is prepare
the package so that it starts a unit when installed.

According to debhelper conventions it should be called something starting
with "dh_installsystemd".

Whereas this departure from naming conventions is perhaps merely annoying,
the man pages are downright misleading. dh_systemd_start(1p) says
explicitly "dh_systemd_start is a debhelper program that is responsible for
starting/stopping or restarting systemd unit files".

First, it doesn't really make sense to speak of starting or stopping a
file. Assuming it's the unit or service that's intended, the quoted
statement isn't true. The program does not start a systemd unit, it just
prepares other programs so that they will do that if they are run.

Please fix the man page and rename the commands, leaving behind
compatibility symlinks.

Or else please explain how I am mistaken.
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