Re: Request for NMU

[Colin Walters <walters@debian.org>]

Adrian Bunk <bunk@fs.tum.de> writes:

> I don't understand this: How can a new automake break packages that
> Build-Conflict with automake?

Actually, this problem already exists now.  There are two automake
packages; one named "automake", and one named "automake1.5".  A build
machine could legitimately have automake1.5 installed.

So with the Build-Conflict solution, you have to explicitly list all
automakesen¹ in the archive, a maintenance nightmare (developers in
general seem to be lazy about maintaining Build-Depends alone).  Also,
this solution is irritating for porters who often rebuild packages
(yes, I know about pbuilder and sbuild, and I use the former
sometimes, but it is slow on my machine).

¹ :)