Re: Configuration management Debian-Automake-autoconf

[Bob Proulx]

William Pursell wrote:
> Aslak Johannessen wrote:
> >Hi thanks for the answer, this is in the direction of what i want! How 
> >exactly do i define new @address@hidden
> 
> Here's a simplified version.  You need to format the
> description, and quoting can be a pain.  I accomplish
> most of that by setting PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_DEB to
> a file name, filter the text into that file, and
> then use AC_SUBST_FILE.

While I acknowledge that this is a clever use of the tools I
personally believe this is a lot of effort to go through for something
that is set up once for a project and then never again changed, or
only rarely changed after that time.  And it adds another layer of
complexity.  It does not seem worth it to me.  If the project name, or
project description, or project dependencies were something that
changed often then I could see the convenience benefit to the upstream
auhtor but those should strive to be stable.

> So far, I'm very happy with the setup.  I've only been doing this for
> a few months, and am somewhat worried that in 6 months it's going to
> burn me.

I don't think *you* are the one who is really going to be "burned" by
this.  The one who is targeted to be "burned" is anyone else who comes
along later and works with the packages that were created this way.
It may be convenient to you as the upstream but it is the opposite for
people working with your projects.

But mostly I also don't understand what advantage you are getting from
it.  I don't see the motivation.  And the disadvantages are big enough
that I don't think it outweighs the convenience factor.

> There is a reasonable point to be made that the packaging should be
> seperate from the source...but I haven't been burned yet.  (I
> strongly welcome arguments from people with more experience about
> how this is going to burn me in the future.)

Okay.  Here are some:

  Subject: debian directory included in upstream
  http://lists.debian.org/debian-mentors/2005/04/msg00158.html

  Subject: Upstream debian/ dir.
  http://lists.debian.org/debian-mentors/2003/02/msg00134.html

  Subject: Upstream debian/ directory
  http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2002/02/msg00503.html

  Subject: include debian/ in upstream?
  
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-request-tracker-maintainers/2006-October/000175.html

Bob