Bug#138409: PROPOSAL] Add build environment data to <package>.changes files
>>"Randolph" == Randolph Chung <tausq@debian.org> writes:
Randolph> Proposal: This is a proposal to add information about a
Randolph> package's build environment to the "changes" file that
Randolph> accompanies the upload of each package. The build
Randolph> environment information contains the versions of packages
Randolph> used to build the given package. The inclusion of this
Randolph> information is mandatory. (for packages that declare a
Randolph> sufficiently high standards version, of course)
You can't introduce a new mandatory requirement, making all
packages instantly buggy. You need a transition plan. And the bit
about standards version is a red herring, really: packages are
supposed to be current with policy (which is why policy froze) -- it
is just that stable releases have packages that conform to policy as
it existed then. Packages in Sid need to be current (can't claim
ancient policy versions in unstable and not fix bugs, for example)
Randolph> A new packaging helper tool will be created, hereby refered to as
Randolph> dpkg-buildinfo.
Why is this functionality not to be added to dpkg --build? Why
require all packages to be touched when you can automagically get the
desired result by changing the packaging tools? Or perhaps it should
be in dpkg-gencontrol? (I don't see why this _has_ to go into the
changes file, and not a new file designed for this to facilitate pre
install checks). Indeed, having it available for preinstall checks in
an automated fashion may be extremely useful once tools are developed
to ensure build environment consistency.
Second, a formal policy proposal is way immature at this
point. Take this over to -devel, discuss the implementation details,
talk to dpkg maintainers, and come up with a working prototype of a
dpkg-gencontrol/dpkg --build (in which case you do not need either a
transition plan, or even a policy change)
Indeed, mandating policy is a far worse way technically than a
transparent change of the build tool chain.
manoj
--
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of
work to do. Jerome Klapka Jerome
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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