Bug#878477: linitian problem when using dh --with autotools-dev

[Niels Thykier <niels@thykier.net>]

On Sat, 14 Oct 2017 00:59:02 +0200 Gennaro Oliva
<oliva.g@na.icar.cnr.it> wrote:
> Package: lintian
> Version: 2.5.55
> 
> Hi,

Hi,

> I'm trying to build the new version of my package (munge) and
> I added "--with autotools-dev" to dh in order to comply with the
> paragraph 4.3 of the policy (version 4.1.1).
> 

Appreciated, but the change is actually unnecessary.  You are not the
first to be surprised by this. :) The dh-sequence includes a helper
called "dh_update_autotools_config":

 * It is a replacement for "--with autotools-dev"
 * It is on by default
 * It requires no extra dependencies of any kind in your end.

> When I check the package with lintian I get the following error:
> 
> missing-build-dependency-for-dh-addon autotools_dev => autotools-dev
> 
> But if I add the autotools-dev dependency to the Build-Depends I get the
> following warning:
> 
> useless-autoreconf-build-depends autotools-dev
> 
> This problem is very similar to #869541
> Best regards
> -- 
> Gennaro Oliva
> 
> 

Indeed; my recommendation for you would be to remove the "--with
autotools-dev" and rely on the dh_update_autotools_config helper.  This
would avoid the warning from lintian and satisfy Policy as well.

... and then we just need lintian to give better advice ...

Thanks,
~Niels