* Enable all people who work with a Debian source package to do so
with the benefits of the distributed revision control system in use,
which includes smart merging, and so forth;
* Specifically, to enable the above for NMUers in such a way that
a minimum of additional work is needed by the maintainer to merge
changes.
* Abolish dpatch (and similar excresences) and specifically to get
back to the point where a Debian source package can be unpacked to
the point of seeing the source code without having to execute any of
it.
* Make life easier for derived distributions by making it possible for
them to merge from us, and us from them, using all of the usual
features of the RCSs in use.
* Make it possible (once more) for NMUers to make a change to a
package without having to learn and interact with a revision control
system, even if the maintainers are using one. Ie, make it possible
to acquire the source, inspect it, edit it, build it, test it, and
upload it, using only tools which either do not depend on the RCS or
which entirely hide it, without disrupting or being disrupted by the
revision control system.
* When an RCS-agnostic NMUer has done their work, still give the
benefit of the RCS to the maintainer (and others) when merging the
NMUer's work.