Re: [Gnu-arch-users] removing a branch?

[Adrian Irving-Beer]

On Thu, Nov 25, 2004 at 02:09:58PM -0800, Bobby Holley wrote:

> On another note, what's the deal with the .listing files?

.listing files are used by arch when DAV functionality is not
available.

If you're unfamiliar with it, DAV is a write-extension to HTTP, best
known for being used by GUI web design tools (FrontPage, DreamWeaver,
etc.) for uploading websites via HTTP.

DAV is not available on most servers in their default configuration.
However, since DAV is the only way one could possibly have a read-
write archive, they're the default for 'make-archive'.

When publishing your archive over HTTP, you need to use the '--
listing' or '-l' option on 'make-archive'.  This tells arch that
you need .listing files created and kept up to date for non-DAV
web access.

Then, after every archive-modifying operation, do 'archive-fixup' to
update the .listing files.

> Why are they necessary for http requests (especially since i have
> directory listing enabled in apache) yet not provided?

Web directory listing, although technically usable, is not
particularly easy for a program to parse.  They're also not
standardised whatsoever (which is, of course, why they're hard
to parse).

As for 'not provided', see above re: 'make-archive' default.

> Is there a script I can use to generate them?

Yes, 'tla archive-fixup' will do it.

Create a file in '=meta-info' called 'http-blows'.  Doesn't matter
what's in it.  If this file exists, 'archive-fixup' will do its magic.

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