info directory not updating

[joeblow]

whenever i install packages with *.info.gz files the files are being posted to /usr/share/info as they should, but the install-info command doesn't seem to be invoked and the dir file isn't being updated. any hints?

[Michael-IDA]

Ah,

Give the commands that you're using and the output, also you might want to add the info from here: viewtopic.php?p=406187#p406187

[Davfxyzzy]

I'm also having trouble with the directory of the info system. I don't know if it's related to joeblow's problem.

I've booted my machine from an MX Linux 18.1 DVD.

The info command gives this -

Code: Select all

File: dir,      Node: Top,      This is the top of the INFO tree.

This is the Info main menu (aka directory node).
A few useful Info commands:

  'q' quits;
  'H' lists all Info commands;
  'h' starts the Info tutorial;
  'mTexinfo RET' visits the Texinfo manual, etc.

And that's all there is to the directory. There are no links you can select.

/usr/share/info looks like this -

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$ ls -l /usr/share/info
total 1246
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  12575 Jun 14  2014 bc.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 218669 Feb 22  2017 coreutils.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   6109 Jun 14  2014 dc.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  20551 Dec 22  2016 ddrescue.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  61097 Jan 10  2017 diffutils.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   3694 Feb  6 23:10 dir.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  10578 Feb  6 23:10 dir.old
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  92043 Feb 19  2017 find.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  23649 Feb 19  2017 find-maint.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  14730 Oct  6  2018 gnupg-card-architecture.png
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  91090 Oct  6  2018 gnupg.info-1.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  57633 Oct  6  2018 gnupg.info-2.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   2765 Oct  6  2018 gnupg.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  36868 Oct  6  2018 gnupg-module-overview.png
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  28572 Jan 24  2017 grep.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  30648 Oct 29 06:18 grub-dev.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  87922 Oct 29 06:18 grub.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   6170 May 31  2015 gtkdialog.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  14828 Mar 15  2016 gzip.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  22167 Jun 14  2014 menu.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  31734 Jan 10  2013 mtools.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  16206 Jan 11  2017 nano.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  14856 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-1.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  15750 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-2.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  11243 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-3.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  13481 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-4.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  14941 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-5.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   7682 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-6.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   6539 Dec  1  2016 recode.info-7.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   1541 Dec  1  2016 recode.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  24906 May 16  2017 rluserman.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  52265 Feb  5  2017 sed.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  69925 May  7  2018 wget.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  14945 Sep 18  2016 xorrecord.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  32965 Sep 18  2016 xorrisofs.info.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  94449 Sep 18  2016 xorriso.info.gz
demo@mx1:~

which looks ok to me.

I can use the -f option to specify the dir.gz file -

info -f /usr/share/info/dir.gz

This gives the directory as it's supposed to look -

Code: Select all

File: dir,      Node: Top       This is the top of the INFO tree

  This (the Directory node) gives a menu of major topics.
  Typing "q" exits, "?" lists all Info commands, "d" returns here,
  "h" gives a primer for first-timers,
  "mEmacs<Return>" visits the Emacs manual, etc.

  In Emacs, you can click mouse button 2 on a menu item or cross reference
  to select it.

* Menu:

Archiving
* Xorrecord: (xorrecord).       Emulates CD/DVD/BD program cdrecord
* Xorriso: (xorriso).           Burns ISO 9660 on CD, DVD, BD.
* Xorrisofs: (xorrisofs).       Emulates ISO 9660 program mkisofs

Basics
* Common options: (coreutils)Common options.
* Coreutils: (coreutils).       Core GNU (file, text, shell) utilities.
* Date input formats: (coreutils)Date input formats.
* File permissions: (coreutils)File permissions.

<etc>

If I tab to "Coreutils" and press <Enter>, it brings up the "GNU Coreutils" information.
From there I can press "l" for "last" and it takes me back to the correct directory.

But when I'm in the Coreutils screen and I press "u" for "up" instead of "l" for "last" it takes me to the directory with no links again.

I've just downloaded 18.2 and it has the same problem.

Any help appreciated.

inxi -Fxrz

Code: Select all

System:    Host: mx1 Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: MX-18.1.1.1.1.1_x64 Continuum Feb 9  2019
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine:   Type: Desktop Mobo: ASRock model: AB350M-HDV serial: <filter>
           UEFI [Legacy]: American Megatrends v: P3.10 date: 07/17/2017
CPU:       Topology: Quad Core model: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Zen rev: 1
           L2 cache: 2048 KiB
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm bogomips: 51097
           Speed: 1375 MHz min/max: 1550/3200 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1375 2: 1380 3: 1471
           4: 1462 5: 1375 6: 1375 7: 1375 8: 1380
Graphics:  Device-1: NVIDIA GK208 [GeForce GT 710B] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nouveau v: kernel
           bus ID: 0a:00.0
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: nouveau unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa
           resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: NV106 v: 4.3 Mesa 18.2.6 direct render: Yes
Audio:     Device-1: NVIDIA GK208 HDMI/DP Audio vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
           bus ID: 0a:00.1
           Device-2: AMD vendor: ASRock driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 12:00.3
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASRock
           driver: r8169 v: kernel port: f000 bus ID: 09:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 3.64 TiB used: 20.9 MiB (0.0%)
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD20EZRZ-00Z5HB0 size: 1.82 TiB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Western Digital model: WD20EZRZ-00Z5HB0 size: 1.82 TiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 6.17 GiB used: 20.9 MiB (0.3%) fs: overlay source: ERR-102
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 32.8 C mobo: N/A gpu: nouveau temp: 42 C
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:     Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list
           1: deb http://iso.mxrepo.com/antix/stretch stretch main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
           1: deb http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
           1: deb http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
           1: deb http://mx.debian.nz/mx/repo/ stretch main non-free
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list
Info:      Processes: 215 Uptime: 5m Memory: 7.79 GiB used: 528.5 MiB (6.6%) Init: SysVinit
           runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.29

[skidoo]

FWIW, back a year or so ago, I surveyed a broad sampling of "info" docs, compared their content to that found in counterpart manpages... and found nothing remarkable lacking (absent) in the content of the manpage versions. Unless no manpage is available (in which case, the associated program probably did NOT arrive on you system via a debian package) I'm saying that you can expect to find that any content present within an "info" doc will be redundant, vs the content of its manpage counterpart.

If you discover an exception, an exceptional "info" doc for a given program, please post it as an example.
Infodocs aren't "bad" compared to manpages IMO, it's just harder for me to navigate, and digest their (non-linear, hyperlinked) content.

[skidoo]

man info
apropos info
man update-info-dir
sudo update-info-dir
^--- identical result ---v
sudo update-info-dir /usr/share/info


hmm... that operation should have been performed automatically,
during installation of the "install-info" package (a dependency of "info" package)

UPDATE-INFO-DIR(8) System Manager's Manual

NAME
update-info-dir - update or create index file from all installed info files in directory

SYNOPSIS
update-info-dir [options] [directory]

DESCRIPTION
Update, or create, the index file dir of available documentation in /usr/share/info/ (the default) or in given DIRECTORY. The index file info
is the directory is usually presented by info browsers on startup.

OPTIONS
-h,--help
Display help and exit.

SEE ALSO
emacs(1) info(1) install-info(1)

[Davfxyzzy]

Thanks skidoo,

I generally start with the manpage and if I can't find what I need I can search forums on the internet, so info isn't essential for me.

I tried your suggestion.

update-info-dir regenerated the dir.gz file, but the problem stayed.

Then I compared the /usr/share/info directory with the same directory in a Debian install I have. In Debian, the dir file didn't have the .gz extension, and I found I could read it with vi.

So, in MX Linux, I tried uncompressing the dir.gz file with -
sudo gunzip /usr/share/info/dir.gz

It uncompressed dir.gz to dir, and info now works. The directory now displays as it should.

Should that step be built in to the MX Linux install and upgrade process?

I hope joeblow reads this. It might solve his problem too.

[joeblow]

Davfxyzzy - I found the same using -f when invoking info took care of the issue, but backlinks would not work. Manually decompressing the .gz file did work, and it appears future installs would update the the uncompressed dir file. Good in both emacs and stand-alone info browsers now. Trying to nose my way around the dpkg system to uncover what is going on, but work and other demands are slowing my progress.

Reassuring to find someone else is encountering the same issue.

Update: I did find this: https://wiki.debian.org/Transitions/Dpk ... nstallInfo

[Davfxyzzy]

Glad to help, joeblow.

I'm surprised more people didn't notice the problem.