Re: use README.source to describe whether committing to VCS is desired

[Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org>]

Le Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 11:55:40AM -0800, Russ Allbery a écrit :
> Andreas Tille <tille@debian.org> writes:
> > On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 10:05:10AM +0100, Stefano Zacchiroli wrote:
> 
> >> In the past I've found packages which does use README.source for that
> >> and apparently Charles (Cc-ed) already tried to advance such a
> >> proposal. In essence, it would just boil down to amend the description
> >> of the purpose of README.source in Policy to also cover this.
> >> 
> >> What's your take on that?
> 
> > I'm in favour of this proposal.
> 
> Me too.

Dear all,

here is a draft patch that would to this.

index 76ac0d4..6236f84 100644
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -2311,6 +2311,14 @@ endif
          system (for example, a package that builds the same source
          multiple times to generate different binary packages).
        </p>
+
+       <p>
+         In addition, <file>debian/README.source</file> may also be
+         used to describe how a source package is managed by its maintainers,
+         for instance by detailing the write permissions on the version
+         control system in which it is stored, or to provide a link
+         to the group policy it follows.
+       </p>
       </sect>
     </chapt>

But the more we go in the details, to more it would give the feeling that what
is not suggested is discouraged. Here is an alternative patch that tries to
address this:

index 76ac0d4..22c0ca2 100644
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -2266,14 +2266,18 @@ endif
          <file>debian/README.source</file></heading>
 
        <p>
+         Instruction on how to use and manage a Debian source package
+         can be written in a <file>debian/README.source</file> documentation
+         file.
+       </p>
+
+       <p>
          If running <prgn>dpkg-source -x</prgn> on a source package
          doesn't produce the source of the package, ready for editing,
          and allow one to make changes and run
          <prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn> to produce a modified package
-         without taking any additional steps, creating a
-         <file>debian/README.source</file> documentation file is
-         recommended.  This file should explain how to do all of the
-         following:
+         without taking any additional steps, <file>debian/README.source</file>
+         should explain how to do all of the following:
            <enumlist>
              <item>Generate the fully patched source, in a form ready for
              editing, that would be built to create Debian

Have a nice day,

-- 
Charles Plessy
Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Japan