Bug#860801: Add a check for missing dependencies from gir packages

[Iain Lane <laney@debian.org>]

Package: lintian
Version: 2.5.50.1
Severity: wishlist

[ cc to debian-gtk-gnome for info ]

Hi,

There's a class of bugs we see from time to time in gir (GObject
introspection) packages where the maintainer forgets to do the necessary
work (in dh it's `--with gir' and add the `${gir:Depends}' substvar to
Depends) to cause the package to have the right dependencies on other
gir packages that it needs to function. Usually having these
dependencies missing aborts the program, so the bugs are quite bad.

Following a libnotify upload to fix this, we were just chatting on
#debian-gnome about how it would be good if Lintian had a check for it.

There's a few ideas

  1. source: If the package name is girX.Y-foo-A.B, check that it has
     `${gir:Depends}' in its dependencies.
  2. source: If <same>, check that `--with gir'*, `dh_girepository' or
     the CDBS thing (can't remember OTTOMH what that is) is called as
     appropriate.
  3. binary: If the package ships a .typelib file, check that it has
     *some* dependencies.

AFAIK 2 and 3 would have fired for the libnotify case.

Any further ideas welcomed.

I plan on working on this at some point, hopefully in the not too
distant future, but if someone else is motivated to pick it up sooner
then feel free.

Cheers,

-- 
Iain Lane                                  [ iain@orangesquash.org.uk ]
Debian Developer                                   [ laney@debian.org ]
Ubuntu Developer                                   [ laney@ubuntu.com ]

* as long as it's not enabled by default in dh at the compat level in
  use - a separate discussion