Re: Source files

[Walter Landry <wlandry@caltech.edu>]

Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org> wrote:
> What are the general guidelines here? Somewhere in written form? The
> DFSG does not contain a hint here.

The rule of thumb that I have seen applied is that 'source' is the
preferred form of modification for the people making modifications.
If a person really prefers editing 1400 character lines, then that is
the source.  However, you can not just state that you prefer that.  We
reserve the right to not believe you.  Otherwise, proprietary software
vendors could state the the binary is the 'source'.

So if a file is generated mechanically, whatever scripts that generate
the file are the 'source'.  However, if someone actually edited the
1400 character line, then it could become 'source'.

I have not seen the example of CVS status lines before.  I think
Debian generally ignores that kind of technical violation because

1) CVS is free software
2) Those lines are not critical to functionality.
3) The lines are very short and not difficult to modify.

Cheers,
Walter Landry