Public bug reported:
Ubuntu's dpkg-buildflags adds the ELF package metadata to the default
LDFLAGS (qa feature "elfpackagemetadata", enabled by default):
-Wl,--package-
metadata=%7B%22type%22:%22deb%22%2C%22os%22:%22ubuntu%22%2C...%7D
The value contains both '%' (percent-encoding) and ':' (raw, between
JSON keys and values). Several older build systems paste LDFLAGS into
generated sed scripts using '%' or ':' as the s/// separator, which then
fail with "unknown option to `s'". These all build fine in Debian, which
doesn't add the flag.
Packages currently stuck in stonking-proposed because of this:
1. bsdgames-nonfree 2.17-10build1 (~250 days, all architectures)
configure writes "s%@var@%$value%g" lines into subst.sed; debian/rules
passes $(LDFLAGS) as bsd_games_cfg_other_ldflags.
sed: file subst.sed line 49: unknown option to `s'
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bsdgames-nonfree/2.17-10build1/+build/32793388
2. fdclone 3.01j-1.1build1 (all architectures except riscv64)
mkmfsed.c prints "s:__VAR__:value:" rules into mkmf.sed, including the
LDFLAGS passed by debian/rules.
sed: file mkmf.sed line 37: unknown option to `s'
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/fdclone/3.01j-1.1build1/+build/32793424
3. mairix 0.24-2build1: configure uses sed "s%...%${LDFLAGS}%" (separate bug
#2170632)
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mairix/0.24-2build1/+build/32793505
4. clustalx 2.1+lgpl-9build3: debian/rules uses sed "s:LFLAGS *= .*:&
$(LDFLAGS):" (separate bug #2170698)
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/clustalx/2.1+lgpl-9build3/+build/32793397
Already worked around: bsdgames 2.17-35ubuntu1 (same configure as
bsdgames-nonfree) sets "qa=-elfpackagemetadata" in
DEB_BUILD_MAINT_OPTIONS.
Found by scanning the failed build logs of all 142 sources with missing
builds in the stonking excuses (2026-10-12); other packages may be hit
in ways the log patterns didn't catch.
This is separate from bug #2170637 (linkers or targets that can't take
the option or the note at all): here the option is fine, only its value
trips up text processing.
Fix options:
- dpkg: avoid characters commonly used as sed separators in the value. The ':'
could be percent-encoded too (%3A), but '%' itself is needed by the encoding,
so this can only reduce the problem, not remove it. Documenting the issue and
the opt-out may be the realistic outcome.
- Per package (works for all of the above, since only the LDFLAGS value is
involved, not the ELF_PACKAGE_METADATA environment variable):
export DEB_BUILD_MAINT_OPTIONS += qa=-elfpackagemetadata
or switch the sed separator to a character that can't appear in flags.
** Affects: bsdgames-nonfree (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Affects: dpkg (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Assignee: Benjamin Drung (bdrung)
Status: New
** Affects: fdclone (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Tags: ftbfs update-excuse
** Tags added: update-excuse
** Tags added: ftbfs
** Changed in: dpkg (Ubuntu)
Assignee: (unassigned) => Benjamin Drung (bdrung)
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2170756
Title:
dpkg-buildflags: '%' and ':' in --package-metadata LDFLAGS break sed-
based build systems (bsdgames-nonfree, fdclone, mairix, clustalx)
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