Bug#593611: Clarify whose signature should go in debian/changelog (4.4)

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Bill Allombert <ballombe@debian.org> writes:

>>>>> --- a/policy.sgml
>>>>> +++ b/policy.sgml
>>>>> @@ -1688,11 +1688,14 @@
>>>>>  
>>>>>  	<p>
>>>>>  	  The maintainer name and email address used in the changelog
>>>>> -	  should be the details of the person uploading <em>this</em>
>>>>> -	  version.  They are <em>not</em> necessarily those of the
>>>>> -	  usual package maintainer.<footnote>
>>>>> -	    If the developer uploading the package is not one of the usual
>>>>> -	    maintainers of the package (as listed in
>>>>> +	  should be the details of the person who prepared this release of
>>>>> +	  the package.  They are <em>not</em> necessarily those of the
>>>>> +	  uploader or usual package maintainer.<footnote>
>>>>> +	    In the case of a sponsored upload, the uploader signs the
>>>>> +	    files, but the changelog maintainer name and address are those
>>>>> +	    of the person who prepared this release.  If the preparer of
>>>>> +	    the release is not one of the usual maintainers of the package
>>>>> +	    (as listed in
>>>>>  	    the <qref id="f-Maintainer"><tt>Maintainer</tt></qref>
>>>>>  	    or <qref id="f-Uploaders"><tt>Uploaders</tt></qref> control
>>>>>  	    fields of the package), the first line of the changelog is

[...]

> Russ, should I apply your patch even after Dimitri comment about
> sponsored NMU ?

Yes, I still think the above patch is correct and reflects the prevailing
practice in how to handle the changelog signature.  Some people advocate
doing other things, but that's always the case for anything like this in
Debian, and I think this wording is better than the current wording and
closer to what people are actually doing.

I think there's enough wiggle room in "the person who prepared this
release" for people to use their own judgement and change the trailer if
they feel that's appropriate, while still pushing people gently towards
what seems to be the prevailing practice.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>