Bug#553493: lintian: usr-share-doc-symlink-without-dependency doesn't find indirect dependency

[Frank Lichtenheld <djpig@debian.org>]

On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 07:43:14PM +0100, Ove Kaaven wrote:
> E: wine-bin-unstable: usr-share-doc-symlink-without-dependency libwine-unstable
> E: wine-unstable: usr-share-doc-symlink-without-dependency libwine-unstable
> 
> But wine-unstable has a versioned dependency on wine-bin-unstable,
> and wine-bin-unstable has a versioned dependency on libwine-bin-unstable,
> and libwine-bin-unstable has a versioned dependency on libwine-unstable.
> (All of these dependencies are, of course, strict "equals" relations.)
> 
> Hence, I *do* depend on the package providing /usr/share/doc, just
> indirectly. Is it really necessary to change the wine packaging, or could
> lintian be fixed to not complain about this?

I don't think that lintian can be fixed to detect that, since it has only the
dependency information of the current package available. What it currently does
to search for a dependency on the package name that the symlink points to.

I see basically three choices here:

1) replicate the dependency cascade with a symlink cascade, but I think
   nobody would be helped with that, so I would advocate against this.
2) just add an override
3) actually add a dependency on the package you depend on to provide the
   copyright file

I would recommend to do 3, it is probably not at all difficult or time
consuming and documents a direct dependency that actually exists. Relying on
indirect dependencies is usually discouraged, even though of course in a
purely internal dependency chain it is not a problem per se.

Gruesse,
-- 
Frank Lichtenheld <djpig@debian.org>
www: http://www.djpig.de/