Bug#728200: debian-policy: force build tools to ensure source trees are build-ready

[Raphael Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>]

On Tue, 29 Oct 2013, Russ Allbery wrote:
> >     In general, when using source format 3.0 (quilt) or later, running
> >     `dpkg-source -x' on a source package will produce the source of
> >     the package, ready for editing.  This will allow one to make
> >     changes and run `dpkg-buildpackage' to produce a modified package
> >     without taking any additional steps.  (Note, however, that such
> >     modifications must be made in the form of a new patch using the
> >     `quilt' system with QUILT_PATCHES=debian/patches, otherwise
> >     `dpkg-source -b' will fail.)
> 
> I believe the last part is not entirely correct.  dpkg-buildpackage will
> detect the source modification and will generate a patch for you when you
> do the build.

It will generate the patch in /tmp/ but it will also fail in the default case. I
know you're a user of --single-debian-patch which explains that you don't
encounter this case.

To avoid unexpected changes, we changed this a long time ago (dpkg 1.16.1)
when we introduced "dpkg-source --commit" to actually record the changes
in a new patch.

Maybe the whole processe should be documented as:
1/ dpkg-source -x
2/ do the changes
3/ dpkg-source --commit
4/ dpkg-buildpackage

> With the removal of the parenthetical, this looks good to me.  Seconded.

With the above clarification made, seconded, too.

Cheers,
-- 
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer

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