Bug#542288: Version numbering: native packages, NMU's, and binary only uploads

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Following the further discussion of sorting issues and Jonathan's point
about ambiguity about using +nmu in the upstream_version of a native
package, I updated this some more (mostly by adding back in the language
that Charles had originally to be clearer; he understood the issue better
than I did!).  Here's the current version of the patch, which drops the
+nmu convention for non-native packages.

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index c1ff4b4..5e48292 100644
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -3211,6 +3211,42 @@ Package: libc6
 	  </p>
 
 	  <p>
+	    The following special version numbering conventions are used:
+	    <list>
+	      <item>
+		The absence of <var>debian_revision</var>, and therefore
+		of a hyphen in the version number, indicates that the
+		package is native.
+	      </item>
+	      <item>
+	        <var>debian_version</var> numbers ending in <tt>.</tt>
+		followed by a number indicate this version of the
+		non-native package was uploaded by someone other than the
+		maintainer (an NMU or non-maintainer upload).  This is
+		used for a source package upload; for uploads of only
+		binary packages without source changes, see the binary NMU
+		convention below.
+	      </item>
+	      <item>
+		<var>upstream_version</var> numbers in native packages
+		ending in <tt>+nmu</tt> followed by a number indicate an
+		NMU of a native package.  As with the convention for
+		non-native packages, this is used for a source package
+		upload, not for uploads of only binary packages without
+		source changes.
+	      </item>
+	      <item>
+		<var>upstream_version</var> numbers in native packages
+		or <var>debian_revision</var> numbers in non-native
+		packages ending in <tt>+b</tt> followed by a number
+		indicate a binary NMU: an upload of a binary package
+		without any source changes and hence without any
+		corresonding source package upload or version change.
+	      </item>
+	    </list>
+	  </p>
+
+	  <p>
 	    When comparing two version numbers, first the <var>epoch</var>
 	    of each are compared, then the <var>upstream_version</var> if
 	    <var>epoch</var> is equal, and then <var>debian_revision</var>


-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>