Bug#737632: autopkgtest: adt-run builds packages differently to the buildd

[stuart@debian.org (Stuart Prescott)]

Package: autopkgtest
Version: 2.7
Severity: normal

Hi!

When given a dsc to test, adt-run builds the source by calling
"debian/rules build". On the buildd, however, dpkg-buildpackage is used
which calls "debian/rules clean" first.

For a significant number of packages, the clean target is used to decruft
the package of generated artifacts or embedded copies of code. This is the
simplest way of (a) using the upstream tarball as per strong encouragement
in policy and (b) ensuring that embedded copies or pre-generated artifacts
aren't used in the build. Whether this is strictly policy compliant has
been debated for years; I suspect it's not in the interests of autopkgtest
to force the opinion one way or the other.

Running clean first costs adt-run little and will reduce the number of
failures here.

cheers
Stuart