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Re: Increasing regularity of build systems



On Wed, Sep 15, 1999 at 01:08:22PM -0500, David Welton wrote:
> I think that as many packages as reasonably possible should migrate
> towards them.  They work pretty well, but I don't believe in forcing
> them on people if they are really opposed.

So even if we did decide to do what you suggest, I am free to hand-roll
my rules files like I've done since I joined[1]?

[1] with one exception, which did not last long:-)

> Do you seem what I mean?

I see broken debian/rules files that should be fixed.  I see no reasons
for mandating debhelper (although I agree that using one of the helper
tools may make it easier for the maintainer to fix these).  I probably
have such rules files myself, but I correct them - in my own way that
does not involve any helper packages - if I notice them (for example,
if you report a bug about it).

> I'm not just talking about debhelper, but about rules files in
> general.  I think using debhelper is one part of this.

I am with you in demanding well-written debian/rules files.  I am not
with you in saying that debhelper is the way to fix these - it's *a*
way, sure, but not the only one, and you must be careful in not blaming
people for not using debhelper.

> Policy is not the be all and end all of Debian - frankly, it doesn't
> interest me much. 

How so?  You are here proposing Debian policy, you're just doing it
on -devel.

> It's a general problem that manifests itself in
> different ways that are difficult to discuss on a general level.

Then give us specific examples.  You did this in this message, which
is good.

> And
> yet, it's good to at least talk about it at this level so as to try
> and come up with a set of good guidelines to go by before going out
> and doing a package by package combing of Debian.

It is hard to discuss a problem which is not clearly defined (either by
general definition or by specific examples)

-- 
%%% Antti-Juhani Kaijanaho % gaia@iki.fi % http://www.iki.fi/gaia/ %%%

                                  ""
                             (John Cage)


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