Bug#543417: README.source patch system documentation requirements considered harmful
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009, Russ Allbery wrote:
> I'm increasingly inclined to agree with this, but I'd like to specifically
> spell out what the exceptions are. I think the important exception would
> be that packages that use quilt or dpatch in the default mode, applying
> all patches in debian/patches/series debian/patches/00list before the
> build and removing them on clean, aren't required to have a README.source.
> That should get most of the cases where this is simple boilerplate, while
> still preserving the requirement for uses of quilt or dpatch in a
> non-standard way.
Ack. I was not really complaining of the README.source requirement for my
own packages since their quilt usage meant that once 3.0 (quilt) is
accepted, I can simply drop that file at that point.
And given that planned move I wonder if only quilt should get the
exception (that would make one more incentive to standardize on a single
patch system).
> I don't know if we should include CDBS's basic patch system as well.
While easy to understand and use, we should aim at standardization so I
prefer not listing more but rather less.
Cheers,
--
Raphaël Hertzog
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