Building the PostgreSQL manual in Info format on Debian Lenny

Hello,

Here's a step-by-step guide to building the PostgreSQL manual in Info
format on a Debian Lenny box:

First of all, you may made need to install a few extra packages:

$ sudo apt-get install bzip2 docbook-dsssl docbook2x opensp

Next, download the PostgreSQL source (using apt), unpack it and
configure:

$ cd ~/workspace/src

$ apt-get source postgresql

$ cd postgresql-8.3-8.3.5

$ bunzip2 postgresql-8.3-8.3.5.tar.bz2

$ tar -xf postgresql-8.3-8.3.5.tar

## this next operations is not strictly necessary but...
$ sudo chown -R sebyte:sebyte postgresql-8.3.5 # change user/group name to suit

$ cd postgresql-8.3.5

$ ./configure
[...]

Now we need to tell a program called 'osx' to ignore any errors by
editing the relevant Makefile:

$ cd doc/src/sgml

$ emacs -Q Makefile

## change line 227 to read:
##
## $(OSX) -E0 -x lower $< | \
## ^
## |___ add this switch

While you are about it, you may also decide to edit the Makefile so that
the resulting Info manual utilises the full width of your screen. (This
greatly improves the look of tables within the manual, of which there
are many).

## change line 263 to read:
##
## $(MAEKINFO) --fill-column 184 --enable-encoding --no-split --no-validate $< -o $@
## ^
## specify number of columns _|

That's it. You're ready to roll.

$ make postgres.info
[...]
$ ls -l postgres.info
-rw-rw-r-- 1 sebyte sebyte 4939332 Jan 24 15:33 postgres.info

Job done :)

'osx' generates 108,484 errors, all of which we ignored, and there are
14 other warnings in the output, but the resulting Info manual is fine.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a way of bypassing 'osx' altogether
but I've no idea how. In fact, I've no idea what 'osx' even does :)

Any tips anyone?

HTH,

Sebastian
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