On Wed, 2024 Aug 14 08:31-04:00, Jeremy Bícha wrote: > > I think it would be as simple for you as to build the harfbuzz package > with this addition to the dh_auto_configure build-main line: > --default-library both > > And then add the .a file to debian/libharfbuzz-dev.install > > Since you already have to build harfbuzz yourself to get the subset > library, I think you should just make that change to your harfbuzz > package.
I made a similar change (enabling only the static library) and built the package myself out of immediate need. But the point of Debian is to be a distro, not Linux From Scratch. There are two reasons aside from that immediate need for which I've filed this bug: 1. Avoiding the need to modify the package. This may not sound like much, but in the context of supply-chain tampering and vulnerabilities, being able to use Debian's vetted source verbatim simplifies the review process considerably; 2. Taking a step toward being able to produce a Chromium binary build for jammy that will also run on noble (where an ABI- compatible library is not available). This is why libdav1d-dev is also a concern. > I don't see a need to make a change to the current Debian packaging to > fix an issue that doesn't actually exist in Debian Unstable/Ubuntu > 24.10. The real issue is that the subset library isn't built for older > distros but it is built for current distros. Debian software would not be very useful if it were limited to solving problems within Debian. Static libraries lend themselves to a number of use cases, which include overcoming limitations of the packaging. --Daniel
