Bug#845715: debian-policy: Please document that packages are not allowed to write outside their source directories

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

On Sat, 2016-11-26 at 03:34 +0000, Johannes Schauer wrote:
> +         None of the required targets must attempt to write outside of the

You either mean "The required targets must not attempt" or "None of the
required targets may attempt"; the current wording means "None of the
required targets is required to attempt".

Based on confusion I've seen before from non-native speakers regarding
the use of "may" in such constructions (despite being perfectly
reasonable English), I'd suggest the former wording.

> +         source package package directory tree. An exception to this rule is
> +         the use of <file>/tmp</file> which is permitted as long as temporary
> +         files are deleted and not re-used by subsequent execution of the
> +         target. This is to prevent that source package builds create and
> +         depend on state from the outside and thus affect multiple independent

"This restriction is intended to prevent source package builds creating
or depending on state outside of themselves and thus ..."?

> +         rebuilds. Most notably, none of the required targets must attempt to
> +         write into <file>$HOME</file>.

This wants re-wording similarly to the first sentence.

Regards,

Adam