Bug#576083: lintian: debhelper-overrides-need-versioned-build-depends (>= 7.0.50~)

[Jari Aalto <jari.aalto@cante.net>]

Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> writes:

> debhelper (7.0.50) unstable; urgency=low
>
>   * This release is designed to be easily backportable to stable,
>     to support the new style of rules file that I expect many packages will
>     use.
>
> backports.org I think now has an even newer version, but nonetheless
> 7.0.50 was the release done specifically for this support and hence is the
> correct dependency when one wants to use overrides but doesn't need any
> newer version.
>
>> [1] (In readable sense; it's short, no funny characters, no long version
>> string to ponder about.
>
> I guess we just disagree about this.  (>= 7.0.50~) is clearly better in my
> opinion.  If I saw a dependency on (>= 7.1), I would look at the debhelper
> changelog and try to figure out why this package cared about the rework of
> command line option handling.

For the regular user, the difference between 7.0.50 and 7.1 is
immaterial. He just wants the lintian to be happy.

It would be possible for someone doing backporting to look at the
debian/changelog:

    * debian/rules
      - (Build-Depends): update debhelper to 7.1 due to overrides_*.

Just a suggestion, please close if you see it fit.
Jari