Re: quilt 3.0 source format and dpkg-source/dpkg-buildpackage
Le Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 10:33:45AM -0800, Russ Allbery a écrit :
>
> * Support for other compression methods.
> * Multiple upstream source tarballs.
> * Apply patches so that dpkg-source -x gives buildable source.
> * Ship debian/* as a tarball instead of a patch.
> * Allow binaries in the debian directory.
> * Allow modified binaries in the upstream source.
> * Standardize a patch format so that NMUers don't need to know so many.
> The 3.0 source format does solve all of those problems. I think it may be
> fair to argue that it suffers from some degree of second-system syndrome,
> but that's an inherent risk in this sort of work.
In my opinion, much of the current disagreements come from two false needs:
* Apply patches so that dpkg-source -x gives buildable source.
* Standardize a patch format so that NMUers don't need to know so many.
I remember the discussion that took place during DEP1 preparation. It already
had the outcome that the main patch systems converged on a common interface:
- Store the patches in debian/patches;
- Apply them with ‘debian/rules patch’;
- Document specificities in debian/README.source.
There were some concerns that applying patches through debian/rules could be a
security hole. In my opinion – that I already expressed in the DEP1
discussion – given that 1) dpkg-source will not extract packages that are not
GPG-trusted, 2) the contents of debian/rules are easy to inspect and 3) in the
case of NMU debian/rules is trusted, there was no necessity to ignore the
de-facto standard interface: debian/rules patch.
Personnaly, I am completely unconvinced of the necessity of applying patches at
unpack time, nor of standardising on one particular patch implementation
instead of using a clear patch interface as the one above (parts of which being
already in the Debian Policy). If I am not the only one having this concern,
maybe we could ask the technical comittee to give us its conclusions on this
matter. I am ready to follow it.
In parallel, having dpkg-source call ‘debian/rules patch’ if it exists would
solve part of the conflict for the control of patching process. And this way we
will not be blocked with quilt if a better system emerges later.
Have a nice day,
--
Charles Plessy
Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Japan
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