Re: X facts about Debian - some fact checking and looking for ideas.

[Guillem Jover <guillem@debian.org>]

Hi!

On Mon, 2017-08-28 at 12:50:48 +0100, Colin Watson wrote:
> It did take a little while for the current format to evolve.  For
> example, very early source packages had changes recorded in a
> "debian.README" file in somewhat ad-hoc formats.
> 
> I think the current changelog format arrived with dpkg 1.3.x in August
> 1996 (https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1996/08/msg00369.html etc.),
> but true old-timers might remember more.

I think it's older than that. But it might not have been "formalized"
until that point because there was no tool to parse it automatically
before then.

Check the tail of the dpkg changelog, which is one of the oldest ones
I know is still currently present in unstable, and you'll see that
evolution taking place:

  <http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/main/d/dpkg/unstable_changelog>

Thanks,
Guillem