* doc/sources.list.5.xml:

  - document available [options] for sources.list entries (Closes: 632441)

2 files changed, 20 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index d74baf2cc..dc0f08333 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ apt (0.8.15.2) unstable; urgency=low
   * apt-pkg/pkgcachegen.cc:
     - fallback to memory if file is not writeable even if access()
       told us the opposite before (e.g. in fakeroot 1.16) (Closes: #630591)
+  * doc/sources.list.5.xml:
+    - document available [options] for sources.list entries (Closes: 632441)
 
- -- David Kalnischkies <kalnischkies@gmail.com>  Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:00:54 +0200
+ -- David Kalnischkies <kalnischkies@gmail.com>  Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:12:21 +0200
 
 apt (0.8.15.1) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/doc/sources.list.5.xml b/doc/sources.list.5.xml
index 837f07683..fab125b4e 100644
--- a/doc/sources.list.5.xml
+++ b/doc/sources.list.5.xml
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
    <para>The format for a <filename>sources.list</filename> entry using the
    <literal>deb</literal> and <literal>deb-src</literal> types is:</para>
 
-   <literallayout>deb uri distribution [component1] [component2] [...]</literallayout>
+   <literallayout>deb [ options ] uri distribution [component1] [component2] [...]</literallayout>
 
    <para>The URI for the <literal>deb</literal> type must specify the base of the
    Debian distribution, from which APT will find the information it needs. 
@@ -109,6 +109,17 @@
    simultaneous anonymous users. APT also parallelizes connections to 
    different hosts to more effectively deal with sites with low bandwidth.</para>
 
+   <para><literal>options</literal> is always optional and needs to be surounded by
+   square brackets. It can consist of multiple settings in the form
+   <literal><replaceable>setting</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></literal>.
+   Multiple settings are separated by spaces. The following settings are supported by APT,
+   note through that unsupported settings will be ignored silently:
+   <itemizedlist><listitem><para><literal>arch=<replaceable>arch1</replaceable>,<replaceable>arch2</replaceable>,…</literal>
+   can be used to specify for which architectures packages information should
+   be downloaded. If this option is not set all architectures defined by the
+   <literal>APT::Architectures</literal> option will be downloaded.</para>
+   </listitem></itemizedlist></para>
+
    <para>It is important to list sources in order of preference, with the most
    preferred source listed first. Typically this will result in sorting
    by speed from fastest to slowest (CD-ROM followed by hosts on a local
@@ -206,6 +217,11 @@ deb http://security.debian.org/ &stable-codename;/updates main contrib non-free
    <para>Source line for the above</para>
    <literallayout>deb-src file:/home/jason/debian unstable main contrib non-free</literallayout>
 
+   <para>The first line gets package information for the architectures in <literal>APT::Architectures</literal>
+   while the second always retrieves <literal>amd64</literal> and <literal>armel</literal>.</para>
+   <literallayout>deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian &stable-codename; main
+deb [ arch=amd64,armel ] http://ftp.debian.org/debian &stable-codename; main</literallayout>
+
    <para>Uses HTTP to access the archive at archive.debian.org, and uses only
    the hamm/main area.</para>
    <literallayout>deb http://archive.debian.org/debian-archive hamm main</literallayout>