Re: Info files--declaration and distribution

[Stepan Kasal]

Hello Karl,

On Sat, Dec 31, 2005 at 11:41:40AM -0600, Karl Berry wrote:
>
>     I suggest that the info files should not be distributed by default.
> 
> Well, I strongly, strongly, disagree, and so do the GNU standards, and
> GNU practice for the last 20 years.  I can't see how dropping them would
> do anything but cause trouble.

well, dropping them means removing a redundant file(s) from the tarball.
I admit that this is only a minor benefit, so I have no problem to
accept your opinion: OK, *.info are distributed.

> Let me know if we really need to debate this :).

But anyway, if you can invest a few minutes to explain me the possible
troubles, I think I could learn from it.

First, I said that without Texinfo, make doesn't install the info files.
There two possible usages:
1) read it directly with emacs
2) install it manually (edit the dir file)
3) (Have I missed something?)

Which of the above is done often enough that you care about it?
(Do not tell me that _you_ edit dirfile by hand, you would have no
problems installing Texinfo in a second.)

BTW: Does emacs have something like M-x install-info-file, thus
duplicating the functionality of install-info?

Another question:
I searched standards.info trying to find a place which says that *.info
should be disstributed before I posted the proposal.  I haven't found it.
Where is it?

I repeat that I don't try to advocate my proposal, I ask questions just
to learn more.

Happy New Year to you, Karl!

Stepan