Bug#593611: Acknowledgement (debian-policy: Clarify whose signature should go in debian/changelog (4.4))

[Raphael Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2010, Russ Allbery wrote:
> Don Armstrong <don@debian.org> writes:
> > On Thu, 19 Aug 2010, Felipe Sateler wrote:
> 
> >> One person I'm sponsoring misread this and put my name in the
> >> changelog, since I'm the one actually doing the upload. I can't
> >> think of a better wording, though. Perhaps a footnote is enough?
> 
> >      The maintainer name and email address used in the changelog should be
> >      the details of the person uploading _this_ version.
> 
> > Perhaps changing it to
> 
> >      The maintainer name and email address used in the changelog
> >      should be the details of the person primarily responsible for the
> >      preparation of this version.
> >  
> > In the most usual case, the person doing the preparation is also the
> > person doing the upload, but it need not be the case. AFAICT, this
> > also documents current standard practice even in team maintained
> > packages.
> 
> Seconded.

I don't quite like the notion of "primarily responsible for the preparation
of this version", it's rather blur for packages that are team maintained.
In fact, the uploader might be the one who has done the least...

I think it's clearer to use Ben Finney's wording. It's the one releasing
the package that is listed in the changelog and it's signed by the person
uploading the package.

Suggestion:

      The maintainer name and email address used in the changelog
      should be the details of the person releasing this version.
      They are not necessarily those of the usual package maintainer
      or those of the uploader. [footnote]

[footnote]
      In the case of a sponsored upload, the uploader signs the files
      but the changelog still mentions the name of the person who
      prepared/released this version. Furthermore, when the new
      version has not been prepared/released by one of the usual
      maintainers of the package (as listed in the Maintainer or Uploaders
      control fields of the package), the first line of the changelog is
      conventionally used to explain why a non-maintainer is uploading the
      package. The Debian Developer's Reference (see Related documents, Section
      1.4) documents the conventions used.


The footnote is already existing I just changed its wording.


Cheers,
-- 
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer ◈ [Flattr=20693]

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