Debian Bug report logs - #500674
iptables: non-relevant documentation included

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jesús M. Navarro <jesus.navarro@andago.com>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: iptables: non-relevant documentation included

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:24:22 +0200

Package: iptables
Version: 1.3.6.0debian1-5
Severity: minor

Iptables on "lenny" still seems to include the old NAT-HOWTO and packet-filtering howtos for kernel 2.4 series.

Since Lenny won't support 2.4 anymore, this docs are not relevant and even misleading (it *seems* iptables includes proper 
documentation when that's not the case).

I'd wish to log this with higher priority since I'm one of those that think that software without proper documentation is 
(almost) as broken as if it has functional issues, but I understand others won't feel the same.

Proposed course of action is:
1) See if there are more recent versions of those HOWTOs relevant to kernel 2.6 and, if so, include them on Lenny.
2) If that's not the case, fill a bug against HOWTOs' upstream maintainer and DELETE them from Lenny: I think that's a better 
output than current situation.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 4.0
  APT prefers stable
  APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-6-amd64
Locale: LANG=es_ES.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=es_ES.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages iptables depends on:
ii  libc6                  2.3.6.ds1-13etch7 GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libselinux1            1.32-3            SELinux shared libraries

iptables recommends no packages.

-- no debconf information

Message #10 received at 500674-close@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: ljlane@debian.org (Laurence J. Lane)

To: 500674-close@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Bug#500674: fixed in iptables 1.4.1.1-4

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:32:38 +0000

Source: iptables
Source-Version: 1.4.1.1-4

We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
iptables, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive:

iptables-dev_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
  to pool/main/i/iptables/iptables-dev_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
iptables_1.4.1.1-4.diff.gz
  to pool/main/i/iptables/iptables_1.4.1.1-4.diff.gz
iptables_1.4.1.1-4.dsc
  to pool/main/i/iptables/iptables_1.4.1.1-4.dsc
iptables_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
  to pool/main/i/iptables/iptables_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb



A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.

Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed.  If you
have further comments please address them to 500674@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.

Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Laurence J. Lane <ljlane@debian.org> (supplier of updated iptables package)

(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@debian.org)


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Format: 1.8
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:10:15 -0400
Source: iptables
Binary: iptables iptables-dev
Architecture: source amd64
Version: 1.4.1.1-4
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: low
Maintainer: Laurence J. Lane <ljlane@debian.org>
Changed-By: Laurence J. Lane <ljlane@debian.org>
Description: 
 iptables   - administration tools for packet filtering and NAT
 iptables-dev - development files for iptable's libipq
Closes: 500674
Changes: 
 iptables (1.4.1.1-4) unstable; urgency=low
 .
   * removed howtos. closes: #500674
Checksums-Sha1: 
 0ce67d71b7f84ed8c44b0ceae8e6d76d7ef17205 1073 iptables_1.4.1.1-4.dsc
 3567d1313ff173bae10aba52ebf37eb3381cc709 50209 iptables_1.4.1.1-4.diff.gz
 6f12339034e085a0598ab611e282e2ac207e468c 472204 iptables_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
 39cd4ab2cc04e77f55b3c16835e0269d0e5d4986 32964 iptables-dev_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
Checksums-Sha256: 
 597790eeaafdec97858f803d7491e980428f693e10064ce7ba5420f799bc270d 1073 iptables_1.4.1.1-4.dsc
 d00217048b1a47efc8b7f6c2fe81886396dd3748ecd127df5cbe8d2e547c060e 50209 iptables_1.4.1.1-4.diff.gz
 d06eea5b883742cc832df22632b071ee93703a371949c2f0b96ae3938bca89a3 472204 iptables_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
 0dde518bb4adca116ca2cca11d9e22b83a85d3a340390b39f2fe75e169de0a7e 32964 iptables-dev_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
Files: 
 b382aab613cfc1639221574cb6a6ad3b 1073 net important iptables_1.4.1.1-4.dsc
 daf986fc7cef061dc56b93ededf66896 50209 net important iptables_1.4.1.1-4.diff.gz
 9b92a50683dde1275e00dc1ba0ba9b17 472204 net important iptables_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb
 94a463a163a497043da6fceebbf5904c 32964 devel optional iptables-dev_1.4.1.1-4_amd64.deb

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Message #15 received at 500674@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Soren Hansen <soren@ubuntu.com>

To: 500674@bugs.debian.org

Subject: re: iptables: non-relevant documentation included

Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:43:25 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

> Iptables on "lenny" still seems to include the old NAT-HOWTO and
> packet-filtering howtos for kernel 2.4 series.

> Since Lenny won't support 2.4 anymore, this docs are not relevant and
> even misleading (it *seems* iptables includes proper documentation
> when that's not the case).

I think this is a mistake and should be reverted. As far as I can see,
the docs clearly state that they're for Linux 2.4 *and onwards*.
iptables was introduced in Linux 2.4, and unlike Linux 2.2 and Linux
2.4, the Linux 2.6 series didn't introduce a new packet filtering
system, so it's the same as in Linux 2.4.

I glanced at the offending docs, and -- at a glance at least -- they
look to be valid still.

The only thing that seems to only mention 2.4 is the doc-base stuff.
Here's a patch to fix this (against 1.4.1.1-3):

Index: iptables-1.4.1.1/debian/iptables.doc-base.nat
===================================================================
--- iptables-1.4.1.1.orig/debian/iptables.doc-base.nat	2008-11-14 17:19:59.926553140 +0100
+++ iptables-1.4.1.1/debian/iptables.doc-base.nat	2008-11-14 17:20:21.648947677 +0100
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Document: nat
-Title: Linux 2.4 NAT HOWTO
+Title: Linux 2.4/2.6 NAT HOWTO
 Author: Rusty Russell
 Abstract: This document describes how to do masquerading, transparent 
  proxying, port forwarding, and other forms of Network Address 
Index: iptables-1.4.1.1/debian/iptables.doc-base.packet-filter
===================================================================
--- iptables-1.4.1.1.orig/debian/iptables.doc-base.packet-filter	2008-11-14 17:19:59.990553103 +0100
+++ iptables-1.4.1.1/debian/iptables.doc-base.packet-filter	2008-11-14 17:20:29.717551157 +0100
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Document: packet-filter
-Title: Linux 2.4 Packet Filtering HOWTO
+Title: Linux 2.4/2.6 Packet Filtering HOWTO
 Author: Rusty Russell
 Abstract: This document describes how to use iptables to filter 
  IP packets for the 2.4+ Linux kernels.

-- 
Soren Hansen               | 
Virtualisation specialist  | Ubuntu Server Team
Canonical Ltd.             | http://www.ubuntu.com/

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Message #20 received at 500674@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: "Laurence J. Lane" <ljlane@ljlane.net>

To: "Soren Hansen" <soren@ubuntu.com>, 500674@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#500674: iptables: non-relevant documentation included

Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:10:22 -0500

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 3:43 PM, Soren Hansen <soren@ubuntu.com> wrote:

> I glanced at the offending docs, and -- at a glance at
> least -- they look to be valid still.

Some parts are no longer valid and the additions since
2.4 are not included, of course. Changing the title and
description to show 2.6 is not a fix.

I will note that the original bug submitter's take on the
situation is somewhat erroneous, but adding the howtos to
the package was my mistake and has been corrected.

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