Re: Bug#70269: automatic build fails for potato

[Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>]

Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> 	I think that since every package using a helper package seems
>  to need a versioned dependency

I don't see any reason why versioned build-dependancies on debhelper are
any more common that versioned build dependancies on say, the C
compiler. Not to mention the C++ complier!

FWIW, the build dependancies of my packages on debhelper are, I believe,
pretty close to correct. Out of 72 packages, 4 have versioned debhelper
build dependancies. Small sample, but it doesn't seem particularly
overwhelming. I have a like number of versioned build-depends on other 
packages, and I doubt I've caught as many of the places versioned
build-depends are needed with non-debhelper packages.

See my response to bug #51898 for a more comprehensive discussion
of the type of situation where versioned debhelper build dependancies 
are needed. FWIW, a quick peek at make's NEWS file finds that between 
the current version and version 3.78, about 7 changes have been 
made to make that, if used, could result in similar situations. For
example:
  - If you use $(if ...) in a makefile, you must build-depend on make
    3.78.
  - If you use dh_shlibdeps -X, you must build-depend on debhelper
    2.0.76

I really don't see the difference, I really don't see any evidence that
debhelper is more guilty of this type of change than make, or the C/C++
compilers, and so I really don't see where you're coming from.

-- 
see shy jo, sick of unsubstantiated, FUD


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