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Re: packages with really old standards version



On Wed, Feb 21, 2001 at 11:30:23AM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote:
> 
> I'd encourage the lintian maintainer ( :) ) to automatically file "old
> standards version" bugs about such packages (of normal/minor/wishlist
> severity); and I'd definitely encourage the lintian maintainer to file
> serious bugs about automatically detect-able violations of any MUST
> directives in current policy (no matter what standards-version the
> packages claims to comply with).
> 

I file any bugs I detect, once I get lintian running on the archive, old
packages beware (-:

A package of 2.x policy behaves in a way different than current packages.

They lack a /usr/share/doc, their manpages are not in share either.  They
may violate other things.  Point is, these packages will be a source of bugs.

All I am asking for is the package get looked at.  I found one today that
had not been touched in 2 years.  Ther eare many others, and they hide.

If nothing else a way to flag packages older than X months or Standards-Version
YY would be nice.

> 
> Shaleh, I'm not sure I got around to filing a bug against lintian about this,
> but it'd be nice if lintian differentiated between MUST/SHOULD/MAY violations
> in its output. Something like:
> 
> 	E!: non-FHS-directory
> 	E-: missing-manpage
> 	E?: standards-version-uses-4-digits-not-3
>

when I rewrite lintian (started yesterday) the lintian messages will match
policy:

Error (E:) -- violate a MUST
Warning (W:) -- violate a SHOULD 
XXXXXXX (?:) -- a MAY is not followed

not sure what I am naming the MAY message.  Messages that are not due to policy
violations will have their level set on the importance of the problem.

With this restructuring, a Developer who gets a third level may ignore the
message, ignore a Warning for a short time and know that E: means 'I should
read policy'.



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