[PATCH v3] doc: build manpages as well as html output

[Bruce Richardson]

On Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 11:47:00AM +0200, Thomas Monjalon wrote:
> 29/08/2023 12:10, Bruce Richardson:
> > On Tue, Aug 29, 2023 at 11:28:01AM +0200, Thomas Monjalon wrote:
> > > 3/08/2023, Bruce Richardson:
> > > > +    meson.add_install_script(mandb)
> > > 
> > > When is it executed exactly?  Will it update the database in case we
> > > install in a staging directory, when preparing a package for later
> > > deploying on another machine?
> > 
> > Yes, it will. Unfortunately, I can't find any way to just call mandb if
> > we are installing in a system manpage location on the local machine.
> > Therefore, I had two options: 1. don't update the manpage database. In
> > this case, the user won't be able to actually get the newly install
> > manpages
> 
> The user can update the manpage database himself.  And if installing from
> a package, it should have been done automatically.
> 
> > 2. always update the local manpage database. In this case, the user
> > installing the docs will find them, but anyone installing to staging
> > will experience a slight delay while their local mandb is updated.
> > 
> > I went for #2 on the basis that the delay in the staging case is pretty
> > harmless, while not actually finding the manpages is more serious.
> > 
> > However, I'm open to other suggestions on how to work this?
> 
> My concern is polluting the machine of the packager.  What happens when
> the staging directory is removed?  Is it an error when opening a manpage
> later?
> 
Running mandb doesn't add the manpages from the staging directory to the
database, it simply triggers a scan of the registered manpage directories
on the system, adding new pages found there. It's the man equivalent of
doing an "ldconfig".

/Bruce