Policy Weekly Issue #4/7: Leaving time stamps unmodified

[Christian Schwarz <schwarz@monet.m.isar.de>]

Topic 7: Leaving time stamps unmodified

STATE: APPROVAL

Most of our packages `touch' files in the packaging process (that is, the
modification time of the files gets reset to the current time). It would
be nice if the modification time of the upstream source would be
preserved. 

For example, you could recognize that some documentation is very old by
looking at the modification time. (Of course, this only works if the
upstream maintainer kept the original modification time.) 

According to a recent discussion on debian-policy on this subject we
consider this topic as `nice-to-have', but without priority. Maintainers
are encouraged to keep the original time stamps, though. 

I suggest that an appropriate note is added to the Packaging Manual. 

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--          _,,     Christian Schwarz
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