Bug#491685: debian-copyright-line-too-long is inconvenient

[Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org>]

Package: lintian
Version: 1.24.2
Severity: wishlist

W: openssh-client: debian-copyright-line-too-long line 210
W: openssh-client: debian-copyright-line-too-long line 212
W: openssh-client: debian-copyright-line-too-long line 215

I think the addition of this check was a bad idea. From my point of
view, I now need to reindent the file, which in many cases might be
difficult to do automatically (copyright files often cut-and-paste
comment blocks from code). The lines in question are literal
transcriptions from the upstream source, which in themselves are less
than 80 characters with the addition of some indentation on the front to
highlight different licences.

I'm aware of many packages that maintain their copyright file
semi-automatically by including files shipped by upstream, and it seems
to me that attempting to reformat these on the fly is going to be more
trouble than it's worth.

lintian-info refers me to policy 12.5, but that policy section says
nothing about line lengths, nor indeed does anything in chapter 12.

Thanks,

-- 
Colin Watson                                       [cjwatson@debian.org]