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Re: NMUs: Do we want to Require or Recommend DH



Quoting Enrico Zini (2019-05-15 11:31:46)
> On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 02:30:52PM -0400, Sam Hartman wrote:
> 
> > How do we feel about people making build system conversions when 
> > those conversion make it easier to fix some other bug that they are 
> > fixing as part of an NMU?
> > That is, imagine that a package is mishandling the combination of 
> > systemd units and an init script.  As someone preparing an NMU, is 
> > it reasonable to move to dh compat 12 from some other build system 
> > if I believe doing so will make it easier for me to fix the bug and 
> > verify the fix?
> 
> I see various scenarios:
> 
>  - if a package is generally actively maintained, except the 
>    maintainer is currently unresponsive for some reason and there is a 
>    RC bug to fix, I could understand frowning upon a build system 
>    conversion in an NMU.
> 
>  - if a package has bugs that can all be fixed trivially with a build 
>    system conversion, I would see no reason not to do such a 
>    conversion, even in an NMU.
> 
>  - a change of build system in a complex package would be more 
>    controversial than in a trivial package.
> 
>  - if a package has had an inactive and unresponsive maintainer for a 
>    long time, it would indeed be a case for salvaging.
> 
>    I could however imagine someone having enough energy to dust off 
>    old packages in the archive, while not having enough energy to pick 
>    up maintenance of lots of old dusty packages.
> 
>    I would consider the idea of salvaging+orphaning, like following 
>    the salvaging procedure but setting the maintainer to qa instead.
> 
>  - I'd say that orphaned packages can be uncontroversially be 
>    converted to dh.

Very well said.  I agree ith all of it.


> With a consensus of having dh as the default build system, and the 
> understanding that some packages have good reasons not to use dh, I'd 
> like a way to tell when a package is not using dh for a reason, from 
> when a package is not using dh because the maintainer has not gotten 
> around to it yet.
> 
> I'd propose to recommend dh as the default build system, and document 
> in README.source if there are reasons to use something else.
> 
> At that point, one could look at README.source to see if changing 
> build system would be an possible strategy for fixing bugs in an NMU.

Great suggestion!


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

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