Bug#944296: debian-policy: Source provenance requirement is WET
Guillem Jover <guillem@debian.org> writes:
> This means that when using a debian/watch file one has to duplicate
> the information in two places, with the possibility of this getting
> out-of-sync, etc.
> In addition the machine readable debian/copyright format, specifies
> the Source field as optional, which could perhaps be interpreted as
> contradict what policy says.
> IMO, ideally the requirement in policy would be lifted by clarifying
> that the information should be provided in *either* debian/copyright
> or debian/watch.
Personally, I usually find they're not the same thing. debian/watch wants
a very specific technical URL (the path to the download location), whereas
I usually use the Source file to specify a higher-level view of the
project.
That's not an argument against your point that this is duplicative; it's
just that I find Source to more normally duplicate Homepage in
debian/control than duplicate debian/watch.
Anyway, I have also found this an odd fit for debian/copyright if one
views debian/copyright as being for the legally-mandated notices plus
license information for Debian package users. I suspect that it's a
combination of that Policy text predating both Homepage and uscan.
I'm in favor of dropping this information from debian/copyright and
instead writing some language saying that packages should include this
information in Homepage in debian/control and, if there's a substantial
non-obvious difference between the package home page and how to download
it, put download information in debian/watch.
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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