Bug#640874: leave: debian/rules is not a Makefile

[Andreas Barth <aba@ayous.org>]

* Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) [120326 20:58]:
> Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> writes:
> 
> > Based on Ian's last response, I think the ballot has two options plus
> > further discussion, since I'm quite sure that we're not going to outlaw
> > dh:
> 
> > A. debian/rules is not required to be a makefile, only to implement the
> >    same interface as a debian/rules file implemented as a makefile
> >    (including handling of arguments and exit status).  Debian Policy
> >    should be updated to change the requirement to a recommendation, and
> >    new versions of the leave package should be permitted to be uploaded to
> >    the archive without changing debian/rules to be a makefile.
> 
> > B. The Technical Committee affirms the Debian Policy requirement that
> >    debian/rules must be a makefile.  All packages in the archive,
> >    including leave, are required to follow this requirement.  This
> >    makefile may, as is common practice, delegate implementation of its
> >    targets to a script.
> 
> > C. Further discussion.
> 
> Reminder: there is a vote currently in progress on this ballot.  So far,
> only Ian and I have voted.  Please take a look at the cited bug and
> register an opinion when you have a chance.

Thanks for the reminder.

Voting BAC.

(I'm not convinced that we gain anything by changing the status quo to
the proposed solution A - even though with the current makefiles
consisting of just "%: dh $@" the degault mechanismn seems a bit too
complicated; but changing that to variant A doesn't seem to be too
useful. Also, the tech ctte isn't the place to develop new solutions;
in other words, if someone comes up with a good solution which has
shown through the usual ways that it gains something for debian at
large, I'm happy to support changing the default but we're not there
(yet).)


Andi