Bug#585844: dpkg-cross: Please add version mangling

[Simon Richter <sjr@debian.org>]

Package: dpkg-cross
Version: 2.5.8
Severity: wishlist

Hi,

When resolving the "duplicate Provides" issue in a repository of
pre-built -cross packages, I've come across the problem that it's
difficult to generate packages with an increased version number.

It would be nice to have a way to append things to the version number,
both for the Version field and for equal-version dependencies (so -dev
packages can be transformed); the caller can be expected to provide a
list of packages where dependency versions should be mangled.

Use case:

 - zlib1g-armel-cross and zlib1g-dev-armel-cross exist in version
   1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3, with the "duplicate Provides" bug, and zlib1g-dev
   declares a dependency on "zlib1g-armel-cross (= 1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3)".

 - User wants to build a version "1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3++dpkg-cross1" of both
   packages.

 - The resulting -dev package needs to declare a dependency on
   "zlib1g-dev-armel-cross (= 1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3++dpkg-cross1)".

 - The dependency from zlib1g-armel-cross to libc6-armel-cross does not
   need to be adjusted.

The user can then call

dpkg-cross -a armel --append-version "++dpkg-cross1" -b zlib1g_1%3a1.2.3.4.dfsg-3_armel.deb
dpkg-cross -a armel --append-version "++dpkg-cross1" --mangle-dependency-version zlib1g -b zlib1g-dev1%3a1.2.3.4.dfsg-3_armel.deb

Obviously, the option names are not ideal.

   Simon 

-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'stable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=ja_JP.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages dpkg-cross depends on:
ii  binutils-multiarch            2.20.1-10  Binary utilities that support mult
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]         1.5.32     Debian configuration management sy
ii  dpkg-dev                      1.15.7.2   Debian package development tools
ii  libconfig-auto-perl           0.20-2     Magical config file parser
ii  libdebian-dpkgcross-perl      2.5.8      functions to aid cross-compiling D
ii  perl                          5.10.1-13  Larry Wall's Practical Extraction 

Versions of packages dpkg-cross recommends:
ii  fakeroot                      1.14.4-1   Gives a fake root environment

dpkg-cross suggests no packages.