Re: synching non-free packages for sarge
Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es> writes:
> [ dropping debian-mips as this is not mips-specific ]
>
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2004, Goswin von Brederlow wrote:
>
>> amu@alum.mit.edu (Aaron M. Ucko) writes:
>>
>> > One issue that we may wish to address before releasing sarge is that
>> > some arch-dependent non-free packages are behind because the
>> > autobuilders only touch main and porters only sporadically build them
>> > for their architectures.
>>
>> One problem with this is that for non-free packages it is unclear if
>> it is even allowed to build them. Ofhand I know of one (pine) which
>> may never be build on any arch. Why it is in debian as source only
>> package instead of a pine-src package (deb containing current sources
>> like other packages have) is beyond me.
>
> We already have a source package format, which is quite good for the task
> it does. Why the fact that we can't distribute the .deb means the source
> package format isn't appropriate anymore and we need a src-inside-a-deb
> is beyond me.
There is no way to install a src package, have it updated
automatically when debian updates, have its Build-Depends updated
automatically when they change, get the source recompiled into a deb
when it updates,.... A src deb can do all that.
The problem might be missing support to handle src packages but that
is how it is.
> I still remember the comments by Ian Jackson the very first time a -src
> package was created. Read them if you can. Perhaps they are in the BTS
> somewhere.
Using a deb is the only way to get proper functionality currently.
Just think about what a security update for pine currently means.
MfG
Goswin
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