Bug#514919: Removing support for uploads to multiple distributions

["Adam D. Barratt" <adam@adam-barratt.org.uk>]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.8.1.0
Severity: wishlist

Hi,

The Policy section detailing the "Distribution" field in .changes files
specifies that the field may contain a space-separated list of
distributions. Whilst this is technically accurate, the feature has been
deprecated since the "testing" distribution became an official part of
the archive and is, imho, obsolete; the use case of uploading the same
package to unstable and the frozen-stable-to-be as a single upload no
longer applies.

I discussed this with a couple of members of the ftpteam on IRC earlier
today, and they were both in favour of removing support for the feature
from dak. One of them had a dig through the archives and discovered that
there have been no multiple-distribution uploads since 2004; even then
there was only the one upload in that year, with the grand total of
three in 2003.

I propose the following patch, against current git (I also took the
opportunity to fold the old "frozen" distribution information into the
"testing" section):

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index 36f51aa..66466c8 100644
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -3058,10 +3058,9 @@ Package: libc6
 
          <p>
            In a <file>.changes</file> file or parsed changelog output
-           this contains the (space-separated) name(s) of the
-           distribution(s) where this version of the package should
-           be installed.  Valid distributions are determined by the
-           archive maintainers.<footnote>
+           this contains the name of the distribution where this version
+           of the package should be installed.  Valid distributions are
+           determined by the archive maintainers.<footnote>
                Current distribution names are:
                <taglist compact="compact">
                  <tag><em>stable</em></tag>
@@ -3096,10 +3095,7 @@ Package: libc6
                      than unstable, but still risky.  It is not
                      possible to upload packages directly to
                      <em>testing</em>.
-                 </item>
 
-                 <tag><em>frozen</em></tag>
-                 <item>
                      From time to time, the <em>testing</em>
                      distribution enters a state of "code-freeze" in
                      anticipation of release as a <em>stable</em>
@@ -3123,11 +3119,6 @@ Package: libc6
                </taglist>
 
                <p>
-                 You should list <em>all</em> distributions that the
-                 package should be installed into.
-               </p>
-
-               <p>
                  More information is available in the Debian Developer's
                  Reference, section "The Debian archive".
                </p>

Regards,

Adam