[Debian GNUstep maintainers] Bug#806037: gnumail: FTBFS when built with dpkg-buildpackage -A (No such file or directory)

[Santiago Vila]

Package: src:gnumail
Version: 1.2.2-1
User: sanvila at debian.org
Usertags: binary-indep
Severity: important

Dear maintainer:

I tried to build this package with "dpkg-buildpackage -A"
(i.e. only architecture-independent packages), and it failed:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[...]
 fakeroot debian/rules binary-indep
dh binary-indep
   dh_testroot -i
   dh_prep -i
   debian/rules override_dh_auto_install
make[1]: Entering directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
/usr/bin/make install GNUSTEP_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES=/usr/lib/gnumail.app \
  DESTDIR=/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/debian/gnumail.app
make[2]: Entering directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
This is gnustep-make 2.6.6. Type 'make print-gnustep-make-help' for help.
Making all in Framework/GNUMail ...
Making build-headers for framework GNUMail...
Making all for framework GNUMail...
make[5]: Nothing to be done for 'internal-framework-compile'.
Making all in Bundles/Account ...
Making all for bundle Account...
make[6]: Nothing to be done for 'internal-bundle-compile'.
 Copying resources into the bundle wrapper...
Making all in Bundles/Advanced ...
Making all for bundle Advanced...
make[6]: Nothing to be done for 'internal-bundle-compile'.
 Copying resources into the bundle wrapper...

[... snipped ...]

   debian/rules override_dh_link
make[1]: Entering directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
gsdh_gnustep
dh_installdirs /usr/share/GNUstep/ApplicationSupport/GNUMail
mv /<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/debian/gnumail.app/usr/lib/GNUstep/Applications/GNUMail.app/Resources \
  /<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/debian/gnumail.app/usr/share/GNUstep/GNUMail.app
mv: cannot move '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/debian/gnumail.app/usr/lib/GNUstep/Applications/GNUMail.app/Resources' to '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/debian/gnumail.app/usr/share/GNUstep/GNUMail.app': No such file or directory
debian/rules:30: recipe for target 'override_dh_link' failed
make[1]: *** [override_dh_link] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>'
debian/rules:16: recipe for target 'binary-indep' failed
make: *** [binary-indep] Error 2
dpkg-buildpackage: error: fakeroot debian/rules binary-indep gave error exit status 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry not to have a fix, as I am reporting many bugs similar to
this one, but I can give some general hints:

* If all the arch-independent packages are dummy transitional packages
released with jessie, the easy fix is to drop them now.
 
* If not, debian/rules should be modified so that the binary-indep
target works in all cases, even when binary-arch is not used (this is
what the "Architecture: all" autobuilder does). For that:
    
* If you are using debhelper, you might want to use options -a and -i
for dh_* commands so that they do not act on packages they do not
have to act.

* Also, if you are using dh, the (independently) optional targets
override_dh_foo-arch and override_dh_foo-indep (for several values
of "foo") may be useful to write a debian/rules which behaves exactly
as desired.


After checking that both "dpkg-buildpackage -A" and "dpkg-buildpackage -B"
work properly, this package will be suitable to be uploaded in
source-only form if you wish (you might want to try it).

Thanks.