X-Git-Url: https://git.saurik.com/apt.git/blobdiff_plain/2926128f90a0f8367798ce094a501124055f2039..a02f24e046d58b723a9283211cb558605a024bdf:/doc/files.sgml diff --git a/doc/files.sgml b/doc/files.sgml index 0aa72e5c8..108e73670 100644 --- a/doc/files.sgml +++ b/doc/files.sgml @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
As is specified in the FHS 2.1 /var/lib/apt is used for application
data that is not expected to be user modified. /var/cache/apt is used
for regeneratable data and is where the package cache and downloaded .debs
-go.
+go. /etc/apt is the place where configuration should happen and
+/usr/lib/apt is the place where the apt and other packages can place
+binaries which can be used by the acquire system of APT.
+All files in /etc/apt are used to modify specific aspects of APT. To enable
+other packages to ship needed configuration herself all these files have
+a fragment directory packages can place their files in instead of mangling
+with the main files. The main files are therefore considered to be only
+used by the user and not by a package. The documentation omits this directories
+most of the time to be easier readable, so every time the documentation includes
+a reference to a main file it really means the file or the fragment directories.
+
+
@@ -97,7 +125,7 @@ which indicates a standard debian archive with a dists dir.
The deb type is to be a typical two level debian distributions,
dist/distribution/component. Typically distribution
- is one of stable, unstable or frozen while component is one of main,
+ is one of stable, unstable or testing while component is one of main,
contrib, non-free or non-us. The format for the deb line is as follows:
@@ -121,7 +149,10 @@ which indicates a standard debian archive with a dists dir.
-URIs in the source list support a large number of access schemes.
+URIs in the source list support a large number of access schemes which
+are listed in the sources.list manpage and can be further extended by
+transport binaries placed in /usr/lib/apt/methods. The most important
+builtin schemes are:
-The extra status file serves the same purpose as the normal dpkg status file
+The extended_states file serves the same purpose as the normal dpkg status file
(/var/lib/dpkg/status) except that it stores information unique to apt.
-This includes the autoflag, target distribution and version and any other
-unique features that come up over time. It duplicates nothing from the normal
+This includes currently only the autoflag but is open to store more
+unique data that come up over time. It duplicates nothing from the normal
dpkg status file. Please see other APT documentation for a discussion
-of the exact internal behaviour of these fields. The Package field is
-placed directly before the new fields to indicate which package they
-apply to. The new fields are as follows:
+of the exact internal behaviour of these fields. The Package and the
+Architecture field are placed directly before the new fields to indicate
+which package they apply to. The new fields are as follows:
Please see cache.sgml for a complete description of what this file is. The
@@ -278,69 +295,27 @@ The Methods directory is more fully described in the APT Methods interface
document.
-The mirror list is stored on the primary debian web server (www.debian.org)
-and contains a machine readable list of all known debian mirrors. It's
-format and style mirror the Package file.
-
-
-Some form of network measurement will have to be used to gauge performance
-of each of the mirrors. This will be discussed later, initial versions
-will use the first found URI.
+The trusted.gpg file (and the files in the associated fragments directory
+/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/) is a binary file including the keyring used
+by apt to validate that the information (e.g. the Release file) it
+downloads are really from the distributor it clams to be and is
+unmodified and is therefore the last step in the chain of trust between
+the archive and the end user. This security system is described in the
+apt-secure manpage.
-This file plays and important role in how APT presents the archive to the
+This file plays an important role in how APT presents the archive to the
user. Its main purpose is to present a descriptive name for the source
of each version of each package. It also is used to detect when new versions
of debian are released. It augments the package file it is associated with