Bug#555980: debian-policy: No policy on statically linked binaries

[Bill Allombert <Bill.Allombert@math.u-bordeaux1.fr>]

On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 04:43:18PM -0800, Russ Allbery wrote:
> Package: debian-policy
> Version: 3.8.3.0
> Severity: wishlist
> 
> Unless I'm missing something, and I did a text search through Policy,
> Policy is currently silent on the topic of statically linked binaries
> other than a brief mention in a footnote on convenience copies of code.

Please note that "statically linked binaries" can cover:
1) static executable statically linked with the glibc (they do not work well
due to glibc plugins)

2) dynamic executable dynamically linked with the glibc but statically linked
with some other C libraries.

3) static executables not linked at all with the glibc. (I think e3 and 
freepascal binaries are this way).

> I believe we should say that they're discouraged in general and are
> normally only appropriate for shared library maintenance and recovery
> tools (ldconfig, etc.) or for security tools.
> 
> ftpmaster currently requires that any statically linked binaries be
> documented with a Lintian override.

What are they actually checking ?

Cheers,
-- 
Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here.