Switching the debian-edu build rule to use cdd-dev? (Was: Bug#399754: marked as done (FTBFS: Can not require network during build))

[Petter Reinholdtsen <pere@hungry.com>]

[Andreas Tille]
> Well, it is great that you fixed the bug.  On the other hand I would
> like to ask whether we have any chance to merge cdd-dev and debian-edu.
> In March 2004 I adopted the code of gen-control from debian-edu to make
> cdd-dev compatible to debian-edu build system.  I guess after 2,5 years
> the code drifted away again.  Do you think that it is worth the effort
> to take over and follow the changes of debian-edu/gen-control in cdd-dev
> or is there no real effort to switch to cdd-dev on your side?

I had a look at cdd-dev a few months ago, when I started on a cdd
package for Debian GIS, with the intention of learing how cdd-dev
worked and see how hard it would be to use it in debian-edu as well.
The reason is that I would like to switch debian-edu to cdd-dev as
well, thought it is hard to find motivation to replace something that
do work. :)

There are several changes done to the debian-edu scripts since the
fork:

 - the tasksel tasks are rewritten to use one file instead of several.

 - the way recommented missing packages are handled are slightly
   rewritten (used to end up as suggests, now can either stay as
   recommends or end up as suggests)

I am sure there are other changes as well.  Personally, I believe it
is a good idea to merge our recent changes into cdd-dev and switch
debian-edu to use it.  It will increase the amount of people with
knowledge about the tools used to build the debian-edu packages, as
well as improve the situation for other custom debian distributions as
all will gain the improvement done by one.

But the cardinal rule of "do not touch it if it is not broken" do
apply too, so I am a bit reluctant to switch. :)

Friendly,
-- 
Petter Reinholdtsen