Re: Debian changelog vs upstream changelog

[Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au>]

Jonathan Wiltshire <debian@jwiltshire.org.uk> writes:

> On Fri, Nov 27, 2009 at 11:50:30AM +1100, Ben Finney wrote:
> > Rather, it would be good to have a facility similar to the way the
> > Debian changelog is currently available: have the upstream changelog
> > published in a predictable location by package name.
>
> Where the changelog is already part of the source package and has a
> sensible name, and the package calls dh_installchangelogs, it's
> already installed as /usr/share/doc/*/changelog and the Debian
> changelog as changelog.Debian. The only unpredictable part of that is
> whether upstream enclosed one in the first place.

This misses the point: that's not available using standard tools (e.g.
pressinc ‘C’ in aptitude's browser) *before* making the decision
whether to install a new upstream version.

Since that feature is currently absent, I advocate Debian's changelog
entry to summarise user-visible changes in the “New upstream version”
entry, so that the prospective user of that version can find what
changed in a predictable location before downloading the package.

-- 
 \      “If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.” —George |
  `\                                                            Carlin |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney