Re: source package structure

[Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>]

On Wed, Dec 20, 2000 at 01:50:15PM +1100, Brian May wrote:
> Trying to understand this directory structure (do I have this
> correct?):
> 
> xyz-0.0/                 [1]
> xyz-0.0/debian/          [2] could be symlink to source/debian [4]
> xyz-0.0/source/          [3] pristine source

Yep.

> tar -C xyz-0.0 -cvzf debian.tar.gz debian [5]
> 
> xyz-0.0/debian.tar.gz    [6]
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1.deb
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1.diff.gz
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1_i386.changes
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1_i386.dsc
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0.orig.tar.gz
> 
> You say that this isn't meant to change the source code format, but
> [2], [4] and [5] seem to be saying otherwise.

Well, there's a change to the source code format because the content
is different, but changing the format isn't the point of my proposal.
[I tacked on the debian.tar.gz thing at the last moment, because diff
doesn't know how to deal with symlinks -- and it's much easier to browse
diffs if they're not doubling as a transport for extra missing files.
I should have gone back and cleaned up my "this isn't about source
format" intro.  Sorry.]

Focusing on the source code format for a moment, I think we'd want something
that keeps files from losing their identity when they're downloaded.
Perhaps:

> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1.debian.tar.gz
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1.deb
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1.diff.gz
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1_i386.changes
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0-1_i386.dsc
> xyz-0.0/xyz_0.0.orig.tar.gz

But, I'd like to spend a lot more attention to stuff like building
packages, and maintaining them, and leave source package format stuff
till after we've nailed down the rest of it.

Thanks,

-- 
Raul