2006-Jan-12

Installed gcc-3.4 from package on Debian. But build error was:

/usr/bin/ld: cannot open crt1.o: No such file or directory

Because that was recommended not required for gcc. So fixed by installing libc6-dev package.

I converted a postscript document to 2 pages per one side of a sheet with a2ps. But when I printed via my foomatic-filters when using Duplex option, it still printed on one side. The same documented could be printed with duplex when not processed with a2ps first. Then I used a2ps --sides=duplex and that in combination with the foomatic "Duplex" (which is DuplexNoTumble) option did print in duplex, but the back side was upside down.

Then I used, a2ps --sides=tumble and that worked with foomatic's DuplexNoTumble and DuplexTumble -- behaved the same.

Now to find out why a2ps needs that, when other postscript docs do not.

Some thoughts I had (again):

On updates, it may be a good idea to make patches against the official versions.

This may help pkgsrc developers because maybe some of the fixes may have already be done. And this may help other pkgsrc developers who update packages because they may have to recreate the patches. Coordinating with the MAINTAINERs may be a good idea just in case they are already in process of updating a package.

I do understand that some packages should not be updated just because a new version is available, but still asking MAINTAINER may be useful to discuss it.

Also, it would be good if all these code improvements were submitted upstream. That way other pkgsrc developers (or maintainers) do not have to recreate the patches again.

And also it may save valuable time, because there have been cases where updates have lost patches -- probably because maintainer assumed that the patch was already upstream, or it didn't apply cleanly, or they just removed because didn't think was relevant anymore.