Re: Do autopkgtest for non-listed architectures prevent migration?

[Helge Deller <deller@gmx.de>]

On 1/24/22 09:10, Ole Streicher wrote:
> Wookey <wookey@wookware.org> writes:
>> If the package builds on the 32bit arches then I would advise that you
>> let it build.  We always try to build for all arches in debian and it
>> is very annoying if you have say an armhf machine and something is not
>> available just because there was some test failure so upstream simply
>> excluded builds completely. Packges should only be excluded on an arch
>> if they are known not to build or to be genuinely useless there.
>
> I would disagree here: If we can't support a certain package on a
> platform, then we shouldn't build it there. If neither upstream nor the
> Debian maintainer is going to support armhf, then it should not be built.

I'm not sure if there is a misunderstanding here.
I think every package (unless it doesn't fit to a platform like a boot loader,
or the target architecture is really not meant for that package)
should be *built*. It may fail tests, in which case it should still be built,
but the build should be marked failed and as such no *binary* package
should be produced and uploaded.
But since it was built, platform maintainers may see it, can check the
build logs and may help to fix.

The worst thing for arches is, if a package is being *excluded* from building
on certain arches just because there was a build- or test error.
That way nobody will notice and there will never someone look into it.

> For example, I have a package (iraf) that builds fine on big-endian
> systems but some tests fail there. I (being both upstream and the Debian
> maintainer) am not going for a bug hunt since I don't see a use in it,
> but I know that the existing bug may make some astronomical calculations
> (unnoticed) wrong. It is better not not have that package than a buggy
> package.

True. Buggy package is bad and should not be uploaded.
But still having a build log is good...

Helge

> If someone needs it, they are free to fix the problems so that
> we include it but unless nobody cares I will not deliver a known-buggy
> package by just disabling the failing tests.
>
>> If the package is available then maybe someone who cares will fix
>> it. If it isn't they probably won't even try. A note in the
>> Debian.README about this known issue would be helpful.
>
> This is only true if the bug is noticed, which is not always the
> case.
>
> Best
>
> Ole
>