Re: Debian-Perl-Policy and .packlist?
On Thu, 5 Dec 2002 00:56:02 +0100
Michael Lamertz <mike@lamertz.net> wrote:
> Oh dammit, do we really have to enter these dark lands...
We don't have to.
> On Wed, Dec 04, 2002 at 09:49:17PM -0200, Henrique de Moraes Holschuh wrote:
> > And since when that matters? It is a bug against a DEBIAN package, for not
> > doing things 100%-correctly-and-in-the-best-possible-way for DEBIAN.
> >
> > Don't get upstream bugs and issues mixed up with Debian ones. They are
> > different sets (although not disjoint).
> [offtopic comparisons deleted]
I think Henrique might not have breaking interoperability
or world domination in mind. ;)
> Which brings me back to my point: Why alter the *expected* behaviour of
> a well known software suite.
In my view it is as simple as this: Currently Debian Perl packages don't
have .packlist files according to Debian Policy. Therefore
ExtUtils::Installed does not work at Debian Systems. And because of that
a bugreport against _the_Debian_package_ ExtUtils::Installed would be
justified.
I can see two possible solutions:
1) Include .packlist files in Debian packages.
2) Get ExtUtils::Installed working without .packlist files
(i.e. make it use the dpkg database)
I would prefer (1) over (2) because it is how Perl itself does it and
other problems (i.e. other Perl modules not working) might show up
without .packlist files.
Now comes the but part: It is not just about changing policy, it is about
finding a technical solution first!
You have done some research already. Perhaps you can help more. As far
as I understand it the problem is Perl changes .packlist files dynamically
while Debian just ships static files.
A possible procedure:
- Create a concept of how Debian packages can change the .packlist
files when a perl package is installed or uninstalled
- Find a way to include this solution into Debian perl packages. This
shouldn't be a quick hack - Right now making a Debian package from a CPAN
package is straightforward and can be done cleanly.
(debhelper script and and some code for those who don't use debhelper
might be nice)
- Test it, be sure it works
- Propose a change to policy
> What you're saying is basically: "I don't care that they're doing that
> for years, I enforce my way. My policy breaks their stuff? Ok, they
> let's break that other package too, because my policy is correct by my
> own definition."
No he didn't. At least I managed to read it another way.
Regards
Florian
--
Florian Hinzmann private: f.hinzmann@hamburg.de
Debian: fh@debian.org
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