On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 09:28:58PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote: > Again from Wouter's comments: > "It is of course perfectly fine for dpkg-source to error out if it > detects that things are not completely in order, or if it detects that > features were requested that are not supported with the source format > that is in use. But it should not silently assume another format is > probably to be used if things are not entirely what they should have > been." > > The absence of debian/source/format means 1.0 and dpkg should not > assert anything else or behave as if it really is 3.0 or something > else. No file means format 1.0 and format 1.0 means never having the > file. That's the simplicity that I like. Since I'm being quoted here, I think it's only fair if I'm allowed to correct you when we seem to disagree :-) Absense of the file should indeed imply that 1.0 is used. However, existence of the file should not imply that 1.0 cannot be used. I might want to have a file with "1.0 (non-native)" to have dpkg error out when I accidentally don't have a .orig.tar.gz file somewhere, for instance. As long as the absense of that file does not make things suddenly break, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. [...] > What is the problem with format 1.0 packages not having > debian/source/format ? I consider it a bug that dpkg uses heuristics to detect the source format that is currently in use. In the interest of backwards compatibility, these heuristics should not be removed. However, adding a way for me to make explicit to dpkg what the current format is is a Good Thing, provided it does not suddenly become mandatory. Of course, this all conveniently ignores the fact that the above explicit non-native option isn't actually supported, which is unfortunate... [...] > I did say until dpkg is fixed. I think the fix in dpkg needs to be that > the lack of debian/source/format uniquely identifies source format 1.0 Unfortunately, "source format 1.0" actually encompasses *two* formats: native packages and non-native packages. I'm sure you've also incorrectly gotten native source packages on occasion when what you wanted was a non-native package. -- The biometric identification system at the gates of the CIA headquarters works because there's a guard with a large gun making sure no one is trying to fool the system. http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/01/biometrics.html
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