Bug#87510: PROPOSAL] Make build dependencies a MUST

[Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl>]

On Sun, Feb 25, 2001 at 08:39:23PM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote:
> If you want packages to support build-depends, start filing wishlist bugs
> against packages that don't have build-depends. If you want to actually
> do something particularly useful, work out what each package's build
> dependencies are so the maintainer can just cut, paste and reupload.

Anthony, I don't mean to pick on you, but you seem to be clearly
stating a mistake that I see several people make implicitly :)
(Mainly on debian-devel, where this proposal is also being discussed.)

It is perfectly possible for a package to have no build dependencies
other than on build-essential packages.  So there is nothing wrong
with "packages that don't have build-depends" unless they actually
need some.

I make this point from self-interest.  I have a few packages like
that, and I'd prefer not to get one misguided bugreport after
another (not to mention Lintian warnings) about them not having 
Build-Depends.

So please keep this in mind when formulating a new policy.

Richard Braakman