Bug#250202: "debian/README.source" file for packages with non-trivial source

[Frank Küster <frank@kuesterei.ch>]

Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> wrote:

> +	<p>
> +	  <file>debian/README.source</file> may also include any other
> +	  information that would be helpful to someone modifying the
> +	  source package.  Even if the package doesn't fit the above
> +	  description, maintainers are encouraged to document in a
> +	  <file>debian/README.source</file> file any source package with a
> +	  particularly complex or unintuitive source layout or build
> +	  system (for example, a package that builds the same source
> +	  multiple times to generate different binary packages).
> +	</p>
> +      </sect>
>      </chapt>

I suggest to end this paragraph with

+	  system (for example, a package that builds the same source
+	  multiple times to generate different binary packages, or a
+	  package which had to change the upstream tarball due to
+	  technical or license reasons).

Rationale: The developer's reference describes in 

6.7.8 Best practices for orig.tar.gz files

how to document properly any changes that need to be done to the
orig.tar.gz, and recommends the name README.Debian-source. This is the
only mention of that filename in devref, and README.source is not
mentioned at all.

Actually, I think that name, README.Debian-source, is even better for
the patch system issue, too, since it's about Debian-specific
modifications of the source. But anyway, I think that we can expect
either of the names already being in use, following the advice of the
developer's reference, whereas documenting the multiple binary package
thing in that file is probably new. If we give examples, we should
indeed use the most relevant ones.

Regards, Frank


-- 
Frank Küster
Debian Developer (teTeX/TeXLive)