[Wp-mirror-list] debian package repository for wpmirrordev

[wp mirror]

Dear Jason,

Happy New Year.

I followed your suggestion and put together a Debian package
repository for WP-MIRROR and its dependencies.  I built it on my
development platform, and pushed it with `rsync --delete' to
<http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/wp-mirror/>.  I thought it
best to get this bit of infrastructure up and running before tackling
the bigger job of packaging `mediawiki' and its extensions.

1) Documentation

I describe how to use new repository in two places:

1.1) WP-MIRROR home page

<http://www.nongnu.org/wp-mirror/>, and

1.2) WP-MIRROR 0.7 Reference Manual

<http://www.nongnu.org/wp-mirror/manual/>
Section 2.1.5 Verifying Package Integrity Using Checksums or GnuPG
Section 2.2.1 Installing from a Debian Repository

2) Undocumented steps

In a previous e-mail, dated 2013-12-19, you mentioned that ``...
installing the debian package from the cli involved a few extra
undocumented steps that a lot of people aren't familiar with ...''  I
hope you will tell me about any such steps, so that I may improve the
documentation.

3) /etc/apt/sources.list.d

I came across a suggestion that, rather than ask users to append a
line to `/etc/apt/sources.list'; I should instead put the same line in
a file, post the file, and ask the users to download and store said
file under `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/.'

Do you have an opinion as to which method is more user friendly?

4) /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/

I also read a suggestion that, rather than ask users to download and
import the author's GPG public key (using `gpg --recv-keys', and
`apt-keys add'); I should instead put the GPG public key in a file,
post the file, and ask the users to download and store said file under
`/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/.'

Do you have an opinion as to which method is more user friendly?

Actually, you did mention that such a file could be packaged so that
it could be more easily updated.  And I did slightly edit the key, by
imposing an expiration date, and uploading it to a keyserver (updated
keys rapidly propagate to all major keyservers).

5) Testing

Please try out the new repository, and let me know of any issues.

Sincerely Yours,
Kent