Bug#696254: qa.debian.org: PTS has outdated current policy version

[Dominic Hargreaves <dom@earth.li>]

On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 06:37:12AM +0000, Bart Martens wrote:
> I suggest to implement the following instead :
> 
> The package's standards version should match the version of the package
> "debian-policy" in the same distribution as the package.  This should be
> checked in distributions testing, unstable and experimental.  If there is no
> debian-policy in the distribution, then look at debian-policy in unstable.
> 
> - package in testing should match debian-policy in testing
> - package in unstable should match debian-policy in unstable
> - package in experimental should match debian-policy in unstable
> 
> The first three version parts are sufficient, but it's not an error if all four
> parts are used.
> 
> - debian-policy version 3.9.3.1 --> standards version 3.9.3 is sufficient
> - debian-policy version 3.9.4.0 --> standards version 3.9.4 is sufficient
> 
> The message should be produced only if the package's standards version is lower
> than the (first three parts of the) version of debian-policy, not when it's
> higher.  So I would not complain about a package in testing having
> standards-version 3.9.4 at this time.
> 
> This is the existing message template :
> 
>   The package should be updated to follow the last version of Debian Policy
>   (Standards-Version <first three version parts of policy version> instead of
>   <package's standards version>).
> 
> I suggest to change that to this template to allow multiple messages per source
> package :
> 
>   Version <package version> of this package has "Standards-Version: <package's
>   standards version>" and should be updated to follow version <first three
>   version parts of policy version> of Debian Policy.
> 
> When a package has the same version in multiple distributions, then two
> versions of debian-policy could come into play, and then I suggest to look at
> the lowest version of debian-policy only.  For example for gwhere
> 0.2.3.dfsg.1-3 currently in testing and unstable :
> 
>   Version 0.2.3.dfsg.1-3 of this package has "Standards-Version: 3.8.1" and
>   should be updated to follow version 3.9.3 of Debian Policy.

I understand your proposal, but it feels like overkill to me. I'm not
convinced there's really anything special about 3.9.4 than any other
version of policy w.r.t the freeze. Russ, in his 3.9.4 announcement,
reminded us not to gratuitously update the S-V of a package during
the freeze (and he did mention 3.9.4 there) but wouldn't the same apply
to a package that currently had 3.9.2? A gratuitous bump to 3.9.3
wouldn't make any sense for a package targetted at wheezy.

How about a simpler modification to the current template:

  The package should be updated to follow the last version of Debian Policy
  (Standards-Version <first three version parts of policy version> instead of
  <package's standards version>). We recommend that such changes do not
  take place during a freeze for packages targetted at the testing
  distribution.

-- 
Dominic Hargreaves | http://www.larted.org.uk/~dom/
PGP key 5178E2A5 from the.earth.li (keyserver,web,email)