On Mon, 12 May 1997, Lars Wirzenius wrote: > At least the following have been pointed out as problems with > the current (source) packaging scheme. I'm not commenting > on what the proper solution to each problem is, and I wish > no-one else would, either, just so that we could, for once, > avoid the Debian-typical design-by-mail-flood. :) > > I _do_ ask everyone to add things to the list (via private mail > to me -- I'll summarize -- or on this list). Or point out non-problems, > of course. > > * .orig.tar.gz gets separated from .dsc and .diff.gz, and may get lost > > * upstream sources not preserved bit-for-bit; need to be repackage, which > can destroy upstream digital signatures, and makes it more difficult to > check that .orig.tar.gz and upstream sources are the same > > * no automated way to check .orig.tar.gz files against upstream distribution > (located on well known web sites), or upstream digital signature, if any > > * no way to automatically retrieve the upstream source package, or its > updates
OK, similar to these three - no option to retrieve the upstream source from a closer mirror (or CD-ROM!). For example, I have a *very* local mirror of the GNU sources, and a couple of CD-ROMS of them, so it would be handy if I could download everything else. > * no dependencies for source packages I'd like to add here that we need two types of dependencies - on *source* packages, and on *binary* packages. And some others:- * No "dpkg-ftp/dselect" type thing for getting/installing sources * No standard location to install sources (/usr/src structure should probably be made policy) * No provision for building multiple binary packages from one source installation easily (i.e. VPATH builds). An example of this is, say I have the binutils source in /usr/src/debian/binutils-2.8, and I want to build binutils for m68k in ~/binutils-m68k, and for i486 in ~/binutils-i386. This is currently possible for the configure script and the upstream Makefiles for the most part, just not for the debian bits and pieces. * No easy provision for an essentially binary-only package, e.g. quake, where upstream source aren't provided - the source pkg is almost identical to the binary pkg - they should be in the same package probably. Another example - in my file-rc package, the debian/rules file does not do *anything* for build, and for binary, just copies stuff into the right place. -- Tom Lees <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.lpsg.demon.co.uk/ PGP ID 87D4D065, fingerprint 2A 66 86 9D 02 4D A6 1E B8 A2 17 9D 4F 9B 89 D6 finger [EMAIL PROTECTED] for full public key (also available on keyservers) -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
