Bug#1057238: debian-policy: Take dpkg-build-api into account for Rules-Requires-Root

[Guillem Jover]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 4.6.2.0
Severity: wishlist

Hi!

Starting with dpkg 1.22.0, it implements a dpkg-build-api mechanism
similar in concept to the debhelper-compat levels.

You can check its documentation in the dpkg-build-api(7) and
dpkg-buildapi(1) manual pages.

I think at least the part that involves the Rules-Requires-Root field
which in level 1 defaults to value «no» instead of «binary-targets»
should be documented in the Debian policy.

I'm ambivalent on whether documenting the general mechanism in Debian
policy makes sense though.

[ I noticed I didn't update the deb-src-control(5) manual page,
so I did that locally and will be part of the next dpkg release. ]

Thanks,
Guillem

[Bill Allombert]

On Sat, Dec 02, 2023 at 01:22:04AM +0100, Guillem Jover wrote:
> Package: debian-policy
> Version: 4.6.2.0
> Severity: wishlist
>
> Hi!
>
> Starting with dpkg 1.22.0, it implements a dpkg-build-api mechanism
> similar in concept to the debhelper-compat levels.
>
> You can check its documentation in the dpkg-build-api(7) and
> dpkg-buildapi(1) manual pages.
>
> I think at least the part that involves the Rules-Requires-Root field
> which in level 1 defaults to value «no» instead of «binary-targets»
> should be documented in the Debian policy.

Note that I proposed that in bug #229357 in 2004, this was even fully implemented,
commited to the VCS and finally reverted without explanation.
I am still not sure why I suffered so much hostility over such a simple design.

Cheers,
--
Bill. <ball...@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here.