configure.ac: account for column(1) impl. shuffling-around in debian packages (bsdmainutils, bsdextrautils, util-linux)

[salewski]

Issue Desciption

This issue pertains to screen-wrappers-0.3.4.

The detection of the BSD column(1) command in the configure script should be tightened-up, and the comments documenting how to obtain the tool on Debian-based GNU/Linux systems should be updated.

We currently use whatever version of column is found on ${PATH}, and assume it will work for our purposes. The Debian-specific aspect of the error message we emit from configure (when no column command is found at configure time) directs the user to the Debian 'bsdmainutils' package, which was correct prior to bsdmainutils-12.1.1 but is no longer so.

The relevant apt-listchanges(1) output describing the change:

apt-listchanges: News
---------------------

bsdmainutils (12.1.1) unstable; urgency=medium

  The "calendar" program, formerly provided in this package, now appears in
  the separate package "calendar".

  The tools "col", "colrm", "column", "hexdump", and "ul" are now provided as
  "bsdextrautils" from the util-linux sources.

 -- Michael Meskes <meskes@debian.org>  Wed, 27 May 2020 17:05:02 +0200

util-linux (2.35.2-3) unstable; urgency=medium

  The util-linux implementation of these utilities formerly shipped
  by bsdmainutils are now used:

  * col
  * colrm
  * column
  * hexdump (hd)
  * ul

  For column(1), the options -n and -e changed meaning. Please see the
  man page.

 -- Chris Hofstaedtler <zeha@debian.org>  Sun, 10 May 2020 22:36:51 +0000

(Note that the Debian package from which the BSD column(1) command is obtained going forward is bsdextrautils-2.36.1 or newer. That package's numbering reflects the version number of the Debian util-linux source package, from which both the util-linux and bsdextrautils binary packages are created.)

Proposed Change

At the very least, the screen-wrappers error message emitted from configure should point the user to the new bsdextrautils Debian package. Better would be mentioning both packages, with some contextual information about the transition, plus package version numbers and dates.

The column(1) command is used within the screen-wrappers project only by the screen-ls(1) command. Only the '-s' and '-t' options are used, so the above change in meaning for the '-n' and '-e' options should not affect our usage. See also comment #21 of Debian bug #961301 (against the 'util-linux' package).

Related references

• Debian bug #905742: "bsdmainutils: use util-linux implementations of various utilities?"
• Debian bug #908975: "column: outdated version lacking the option -o (--output-separator) implemented 5 years ago"
• Debian bug #961301: "util-linux: column from util-linux is not available at runtime"