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Re: debconf-src, source package configuration with debconf



On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:28:10 +0200
Jeremie Koenig <jk@jk.fr.eu.org> wrote:

> I'm working on a simple but extensible dpkg-buildpackage wrapper which
> uses debconf to tune the build environment.

? debconf is system-wide! ? Emdebian needs to retain the ability to
build absolutely normal Debian packages at the same time as Emdebian
packages, on the same system and without forcing everyone to only use
chroots. I have lots of Debian packages to maintain and I don't want
system-wide debconf options being passed to debhelper whilst building
and updating Emdebian packages - sometimes the same package on the
same machine at the same time. This is easy currently because each
build only needs it's own directory. I don't see a need for a
system-wide config getting in the way. What about multi-user systems?

> By itself, the wrapper only sets the DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS; 

That sounds too general - DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS support is patchy and
incomplete, not many packages support it and those that do differ in
how they support the options.

> however it
> provides interfaces for third-party packages and the source package
> being built to enrich the configuration phase. 

Please define this - I don't see the point. I don't want one
configuration, I want normal Debian and package-specific Emdebian
changes.

> It is meant as a big
> hook to access the extra functionnality offered by packages such as
> dpkg-cross or emdebian-utils, and "super" source packages such as
> binutils or gcc (whose debian/rules files offer binary-cross targets).

Umm, it's emdebian-tools. I'm not sure what "extra functionality" you
are describing.

> A preliminary 'debconf-src' package is available at:
> deb	http://www.jk.fr.eu.org/debian unstable/
> deb-src	http://www.jk.fr.eu.org/debian unstable/

I've had a quick look but I can't see the problem you are trying to
solve, sorry.
 
> I have many applications and improvements in mind, in particular with
> regards to custom or derived Debian distributions which need to
> rebuild their packages, such as emDebian. 

There is no one configuration that will meet all these needs and I
don't want to be fiddling with debconf every time. :-(

debconf is for system-wide configuration of installed packages.
emdebian-tools uses debconf for it's own configuration and I don't see
a need to bring package-specific config into a system-wide resource.

> Provided I get debconf-src to a sufficiently advanced state, and get
> it into Debian (I'll need a sponsor BTW), would such patches have a
> chance of being accepted? (they would mostly create new files with no
> effect when debconf-src is not used)

Umm, I don't see that this is something I would want or need to use -
I'm also not sure how it would be received within Debian. From your
initial description, it sounds like an abuse of debconf. (See the
Developers Reference).

> Would you have any comments or ideas before I start doing so?

So far, I don't like the sound of it. Maybe I've misunderstood. Please
look at emdebian-tools (no such thing as emdebian-utils) and understand
how those scripts work before offering to "extend the functionality".

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/

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