Clarify policy on named pipes in packages

Make explicit the requirement that packages not include named pipes in
addition to device files.  State that named pipes must be created in
postinst and removed in prerm or postrm as appropriate.  Suggest in a
footnote using mkfifo rather than mknod to avoid false positives from
package checkers.

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index 9fcb6605630d730526f6434b2ae0fe77a9d412ae..34a45d577b4dc22543c7c7a6b624ca22ad5eb507 100644 (file)
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -7256,8 +7256,8 @@ ln -fs ../sbin/sendmail debian/tmp/usr/bin/runq
        <heading>Device files</heading>
 
        <p>
-         Packages must not include device files in the package file
-         tree.
+         Packages must not include device files or named pipes in the
+         package file tree.
        </p>
 
        <p>
@@ -7282,6 +7282,18 @@ ln -fs ../sbin/sendmail debian/tmp/usr/bin/runq
          <file>/dev/cu*</file> devices should be changed to use
          <file>/dev/ttyS*</file>.
        </p>
+
+       <p>
+         Named pipes needed by the package must be created in
+         the <prgn>postinst</prgn> script<footnote>
+           It's better to use <prgn>mkfifo</prgn> rather
+           than <prgn>mknod</prgn> to create named pipes so that
+           automated checks for packages incorrectly creating device
+           files with <prgn>mknod</prgn> won't have false positives.
+         </footnote> and removed in
+         the <prgn>prerm</prgn> or <prgn>postrm</prgn> script as
+         appropriate.
+       </p>
       </sect>
 
       <sect id="config-files">