Bug#1095039: debian-policy: Development files: Allow using linker scripts instead of symlinks

[Bill Allombert <ballombe@debian.org>]

On Sun, Feb 02, 2025 at 11:40:45PM +0100, Aurelien Jarno wrote:
> Package: debian-policy
> Version: 4.7.0.2
> Severity: normal
> Tags: patch
> 
> Dear Policy maintainers,
> 
> The section 8.4, Development files, mentions that the development
> package should contain a symlink for the associated shared library
> without a version number. In practice a linker script could be used
> instead, this is for instance the case of libncurses.so, libncursesw.so,
> libc.so, and also libm.so for architectures which support the vector
> math library.
> 
> Here is a proposal to update the existing paragraph: 
> 
>  The development package should contain either a symlink or a linker
>  script for the associated shared library without a version number. For
>  example, the libgdbm-dev package should include a symlink from
>  /usr/lib/libgdbm.so to libgdbm.so.3.0.0, or a linker script that
>  achieves the same effect. This symlink or linker script is needed by
>  the linker (ld) when compiling packages, as it will only look for
>  libgdbm.so when compiling dynamically.

Hello Aurelien,

Maybe a footnote explaining when a linker script could be needed would be
useful ?

Cheers,
-- 
Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here.