Bug#536434: Do not check debian-changelog-file-is-a-symlink for Ubuntu packages
tags 536434 wontfix
retitle 536434 [checks/changelog-file] don't check debian-changelog-file-is-a-symlink for Ubuntu packages
thanks
Benjamin Drung <bdrung@ubuntu.com> writes:
> The bug was only fixed partially for packages with ubuntu in their
> version. The problem is, that CDBS will link the changelog file, if the
> package is build on Ubuntu. The version string does not have any
> influence.
> lintian should not complain if the package is build on Ubuntu. Normally
> lintian is run on the same system. Therefore lintian should not complain
> about the changelog, if it is run on Ubuntu. "lsb_release -si" will give
> this information.
I'm not willing to do this. The purpose of Lintian is to check packages
for Debian against Debian Policy, and should continue to do so even if
it's being run on an Ubuntu host.
When Ubuntu makes available enough information that Lintian can adjust and
also check Ubuntu packages, I'm happy to try to support that, but it
should only be enabled when the packages are specifically Ubuntu packages,
not just Debian packages that are being checked on Ubuntu.
If, therefore, Ubuntu chooses to diverge from Debian Policy in a way that
cannot be automatically detected like this, I believe it's Ubuntu's
responsibility to bear the full support cost of that decision. That will
probably mean Ubuntu maintaining local patches to Lintian in perpetuity,
unless the work is done to achieve consensus to change Debian Policy or
the divergence from Debian Policy is reverted.
In other words, I think this was a poorly handled choice on the part of
Ubuntu compounded by another poorly chosen decision in CDBS, and while I'm
sorry that you got caught in the middle, I don't think there's a way for
Lintian to work around it and still support its primary purpose.
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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