Bug#1002626: debian-policy: building packages should not require to be root

[Vincent Lefevre <vincent@vinc17.net>]

Hello Bill,

On 2021-12-25 22:58:25 +0100, Bill Allombert wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 25, 2021 at 10:38:47PM +0100, Vincent Lefevre wrote:
> > Building packages should not require to be root.
> 
> Hello Vincent!
> 
> Currently, packages are allowed to require root to build.
> See Rules-Requires-Root for more detail.

No, this is not what the Rules-Requires-Root documentation says.

https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-source.html#debian-rules-and-rules-requires-root
says:

  Depending on the value of the Rules-Requires-Root field, the package
  builder (e.g. dpkg-buildpackage) may run the debian/rules target as
  an unprivileged user and provide a gain root command. This command
  allows the debian/rules target to run particular subcommands under
  (fake)root.

When a package is built as a normal user, Rules-Requires-Root assumes
that using fakeroot would be fine.

Here, the build via "debuild" is failing even when fakeroot is
available (installed on the machine). Note that Rules-Requires-Root
has been set to "no". IMHO, the policy should say that when
Rules-Requires-Root is set to "no", being root or using fakeroot
should not be required.

-- 
Vincent Lefèvre <vincent@vinc17.net> - Web: <https://www.vinc17.net/>
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