melanie - Utility to remove/add packages from suites

melanie [ options ] package [ ... ]

melanie is the command line tool to add and remove package sets from suites with enforced logging, optional bug closing and override updates.

-a/--architecture=architecture

Restrict the packages being considered to the architecture(s) listed.

-b/--binary

Only look at binary packages.

-c/--component=component

Restrict the packages being considered to those found in the component(s) listed. The default is main.

-C/--carbon-copy=[ bug number | 'package' | email address ]

Carbon copy the bug closing mail to the address(es) given. If the removal was not requested by the maintainer, this option should always be used to inform the maintainer of the package's removal. 3 types of address are accepted.

•

number - assumed to be a bug number, and expanded to nnnnn@bugs.debian.org.

•

'package' - carbon copy package@package.debian.org for each package given as an argument.

•

anything containing '@' - assumed to be an email address, and carbon copied as is.

-d/--done=done

Close the bug(s) listed on successful completion.

-m/--reason=reason

The reason for the removal or addition of the package(s). This is a required option; if not provided an editor will be spawned so the reason can be added there.

-n/--no-action

Don't actually do anything; just show what would be done.

-p/--partial

Partial removal of a package, so the package is not removed from the overrides. This option is implied by -a/--architecture.

-R/--rdep-check

Check the reverse dependencies (and build-dependencies) of the packages that are to be removed and warn if anything will break.

-s/--suite=suite

Only add/remove the packages from the suite(s) listed. The default is unstable

-S/--source-only

Only look at source packages.

There are 3 methods for selecting packages.

•

Source + Binaries. (default)

In this mode melanie will assume each of the package(s) passed as arguments are source packages and will also remove any binary packages built from these source packages.

•

Binary only.

Only binary packages are searched; source packages are ignored. This mode is chosen by use of the -b/--binary switch.

This should only be used for orphaned binary packages (i.e. those no longer built by source packages); otherwise, in any system (e.g. Debian) which has auto-building, pointless (and uninstallable) recompiles will be triggered.

•

Source only.

Only source packages are searched; binary packages are ignored. This mode is chosen by use of the -S/--source switch.

melanie uses katie's configuration file. It follows the typical ISC configuration format as seen in ISC tools like bind 8 and dhcpd. Apart from being able to alter the defaults for command line options, the following configuration items are used:

Melanie::MyEmailAddress

This is used as the From: line for bug closing mails as per the -d/--done command line switch. It, obviously, must be a RFC-822 valid email address.

Melanie::LogFile

This is the (absolute) file name of the logfile that melanie unconditionally writes too. This can not be empty or an invalid file.

The first example is of a source+binaries package removal.

troup@auric| ~ $melanie -d 68136 -m "Requested by tbm@; confirmed with maintainer.  Superseded by libgmp2" gmp1   
Working... done.
Will remove the following packages from unstable:

gmp1 | 1.3.2-8.2 | source, alpha, hppa, arm, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc gmp1-dev | 1.3.2-8.2 | alpha, hppa, arm, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc

------------------- Reason ------------------- Requested by tbm@; confirmed with maintainer. Superseded by libgmp2 ----------------------------------------------

Continue (y/N)? y Deleting... done. troup@auric| ~ $

The second example is of a binary-only multi-package removal.

troup@auric| ~ $melanie -d 82562 -m "Requested by paul@; NBS." -b libgtkextra{5,9,10}
Working... done.
Will remove the following packages from unstable:

libgtkextra10 | 0.99.10-2 | alpha, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc libgtkextra5 | 0.99.5-1 | alpha, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc libgtkextra9 | 0.99.9-1 | alpha, i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc

Will also close bugs: 82562

------------------- Reason ------------------- Requested by paul@; NBS. ----------------------------------------------

Continue (y/N)? y Deleting... done. troup@auric| ~ $

melanie returns zero on normal operation, non-zero on error.

katie was written by James Troup <james@nocrew.org>.