Package: pbuilder Version: 0.161 On a recent ubuntu xchat-gnome package ( 1:0.15-0ubuntu1), the Build-Depends: line contained the following snippet...:
"libgnome2-dev (>=^I2.16.0)", where ^I was a tab character (ASCII code 09) instead of a space. This caused pbuilder to error with the following output: -> Considering build-dep libgnome2-dev (>= dpkg: --compare-versions bad relation Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*]; Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management; Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values; Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options; Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files; Type dpkg --license for copyright license and lack of warranty (GNU GPL) [*]. Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' ! Tried versions: 2.16.0-0ubuntu1 -> Does not satisfy version, not trying Yet the package builds successfully in the ubuntu buildd's. After talking to some Ubuntu developers about this, the concensus was that this was a pbuilder bug, and pbuilder should be able to handle tab characters.