TODO

RoadMap
=======

  <https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Dpkg/RoadMap>

TODO
====


Recurring
---------

 * Review this file and remove or update the old entries.

 * Look for FIXME and XXX items in the source.

 * Triage as much bugs as possible to get the bug count below 300 ;)
   and merge as much patches as possible.


Projects
--------

 * Merge functionality from debsigs-verify, debsigs:
   - Redesign OpenPGP signatures support within .deb archive and its policy.

 * Add UTF-8 support to all programs.

 * Discuss and implement:
   <https://www.hadrons.org/~guillem/debian/docs/origin.proposal>.


Tasks
-----

 * C/C++ code cleanup / bug fixes:
   - Get rid of static variables inside functions.
   - Coalesce hash and checksum functions.
   - Split modstatdb_rw into mode and flags.
   - Move fd function out of mustlib.
   - Cleanup status chars -> strings hardcoded mappings all over the place.
     (Fix tied field enum with its dselect description (pkgdisplay.cc))
   - Refactor src/unpack.c.
   - Split dpkg.h into independent headers.
   - Do more unused header include removal.
   - Add needed includes to all header files.
   - Get rid of useless "unsigned" modifiers.
   - Use enums for currently hardcoded literals (replacingfilesandsaid,
     filetriggers_edited, etc).
   - Do not use nfmalloc (and friends) for non in-core db memory.
   - Call nffreeall on exit (need to detangle nfmalloc from non-db first).
   - Add a size parameter to the buffer API to avoid some useless
     pipe+fork+copy.
   - Handle instdir '/' separator consistently.
   - Check if caching selinux context for second call is possible.
   - Add missing newlines in --version output.
   - Handle symlinks in statcmd.c statdb_node_apply().
   - Fix dpkg termination on SIGPIPE from status-fd.

 * libcompat cleanup:
   - Add fnmatch, IRIX5 doesn't have it.

 * Man pages:
   - Add example to dpkg-scanfoo manual pages?
   - Merge synopsis lines in dpkg-triggers.
   - Check all command vs action.
   - Check usage of '|' instead of ', '.
   - Check position of short option before long option.
   - Fix dpkg man page, refs to dpkg-deb and dpkg-split, etc.
   - Fix «.  ».

 * L10n:
   - Check dpkg-divert strings for new and fixable ones.
   - Standardize translated error messages in the perl code to avoid useless
     work for translators.

 * s-s-d: Add POSIX capabilities support.

 * dpkg: Deprecate --force-not-root (remove modstatdb_rw rootneeded flags).

 * dpkg: Test and re-enable --command-fd.

 * dpkg: Check --no-act for log_action().

 * test: Add non-regression tests for Dpkg::Source::*.

 * dpkg: Allow packages to register additional files, declare ownership of
   files for dpkg -S and -L without having dpkg act on this (.psuedolist?).

 * dpkg-checkbuilddeps: Make it easier to use by other programs such as
   pbuilder or sbuild, so that they can start using the new architecture
   wildcards automatically.
   - Support for output format. (#214566)

 * libdpkg: Fix conflicting action -%c, when short is 0.

 * libdpkg: We should set our own obstack_alloc_failed_handler.

 * dpkg: Declarative diversions, as a control archive entry.

 * dpkg: --status for virtual packages.

 ? dpkg: --query, -Q.

 * dpkg: Filename field generated by --record-avail.

 ? dpkg: Allow external program to specify how to handle conffiles.

 ? dpkg: Add --call-maint-script=<script> --maint-script-arg=<arg>
             --maint-script-arg=<arg> <pkg> <pkg>
   Where dpkg would not allow <script> to be one of {pre,post}{inst,rm}.
   Only unknown scripts can be called this way. dpkg would also not keep
   track of any state for these scripts.

 ? dpkg: _Always_ show section in --yet-to-unpack.

 * dpkg: Fix:
   <joeyh_> package a conflicted with old versions of package b. package b
            conflicted with old versions of package a. I had the old versions
            of both installed, and told dpkg to install the new versions of
            a and b simultaneously. It refused.

 * dselect: Automatically do --yet-to-unpack in installation methods.

 * dselect: Make it understand Replaces.

 * dselect: Per-half focus and keybindings improvements.
   !missing bug report #1555!


Inadequacies (ponder, some might be fine)
------------

 * Conflicts << installation ordering.

 * Search for all pre-depends things at once, bomb out if any not found.

 * Check depending packages when installing new version.

 * Several things ought to be configurable but are not.

 * Filenames containing newlines.

 * Conffile names containing spaces.

 * Handling of case in package names.

 * 'fake' or 'null' packages (useful for equivs or fink system packages).

 * Local conffiles, as well as local files that dpkg should check before
   overwriting.