Prompted by recent changes in fontconfig's handling of
/usr/local/share/fonts, I noticed that r-base-core's postinst has
an open-coded script to create /usr/local/lib/R with Policy-compliant
permissions.

Please consider using dh_usrlocal(1) for this: that way, any implementation
bugs can be fixed centrally in debhelper, and they will take effect in
all packages that use dh_usrlocal at the next rebuild.

The procedure to do that is something like this:

1. create debian/r-base-core/usr/local/lib/R
   (for example with `install -d` in d/rules, or probably using
   debian/r-base-core.dirs would also work)
2. make sure dh_usrlocal is run (normally dh will run it, but I see that
   r-base is using individual dh_ tools so it would be necessary to
   insert an explicit call to dh_usrlocal at an appropriate point in the
   sequence)
3. remove open-coded logic in maintainer scripts to create (and possibly
   remove) this directory
4. make sure the #DEBHELPER# placeholder appears in any maintainer scripts
   that still exist

With that done, dh_usrlocal should insert maintainer script snippets
generated from /usr/share/debhelper/autoscripts/ to create and remove
the directory when appropriate.

Thanks,
    smcv

On 4 February 2026 at 12:25, Simon McVittie wrote:
| Package: r-base-core
| Version: 4.5.2-1
| Severity: wishlist
| User: smcv@debian.org
| Usertags: dh-usrlocal
|
| Prompted by recent changes in fontconfig's handling of
| /usr/local/share/fonts, I noticed that r-base-core's postinst has
| an open-coded script to create /usr/local/lib/R with Policy-compliant
| permissions.
|
| Please consider using dh_usrlocal(1) for this: that way, any implementation
| bugs can be fixed centrally in debhelper, and they will take effect in
| all packages that use dh_usrlocal at the next rebuild.
|
| The procedure to do that is something like this:
|
| 1. create debian/r-base-core/usr/local/lib/R
|    (for example with `install -d` in d/rules, or probably using
|    debian/r-base-core.dirs would also work)
| 2. make sure dh_usrlocal is run (normally dh will run it, but I see that
|    r-base is using individual dh_ tools so it would be necessary to
|    insert an explicit call to dh_usrlocal at an appropriate point in the
|    sequence)
| 3. remove open-coded logic in maintainer scripts to create (and possibly
|    remove) this directory
| 4. make sure the #DEBHELPER# placeholder appears in any maintainer scripts
|    that still exist
|
| With that done, dh_usrlocal should insert maintainer script snippets
| generated from /usr/share/debhelper/autoscripts/ to create and remove
| the directory when appropriate.

What we use there is somewhat involved because of the required group write
bit (so that 'allowed' R users can add packages). I am looking at the
dh_usrlocal(1) man page now and am learning about /etc/staff-group-for-usr-local
so this _could_ work but I am not sure I really want to introduce variance
here now: what we have _works_ and expectations are built upon in.  So will
ponder but possibly decline.

Appreciate the heads-up though.

Cheers, Dirk

| Thanks,
|     smcv