[Python-apps-team] Bug#806011: cython: FTBFS when built with dpkg-buildpackage -A (No such file or directory)

[Santiago Vila]

Package: src:cython
Version: 0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1-1
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 --with python2,python3 --buildsystem python_distutils
   dh_testroot -i -O--buildsystem=python_distutils
   dh_prep -i -O--buildsystem=python_distutils
   dh_installdirs -i -O--buildsystem=python_distutils
   debian/rules override_dh_auto_install
make[1]: Entering directory '/<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1'
py3versions: no X-Python3-Version in control file, using supported versions
dh_auto_install
pyversions: missing X(S)-Python-Version in control file, fall back to debian/pyversions
pyversions: missing debian/pyversions file, fall back to supported versions
	python-dbg setup.py install --force --root=/<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2\+git16-ga8fbae1/debian/tmp --no-compile -O0 --install-layout=deb
Unable to find pgen, not compiling formal grammar.
running install
running build
running build_py
running build_ext
running build_scripts
running install_lib
creating /<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1/debian/tmp
creating /<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1/debian/tmp/usr
creating /<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1/debian/tmp/usr/lib

[... snipped ...]

make[1]: Entering directory '/<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1'
pyversions: missing X(S)-Python-Version in control file, fall back to debian/pyversions
pyversions: missing debian/pyversions file, fall back to supported versions
dh_install
: # fix shebang
sed -i -e '1 s,#!.*python.*,#!/usr/bin/python,' debian/cython/usr/bin/*
sed: can't read debian/cython/usr/bin/*: No such file or directory
debian/rules:56: recipe for target 'override_dh_install' failed
make[1]: *** [override_dh_install] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/<<BUILDDIR>>/cython-0.23.2+git16-ga8fbae1'
debian/rules:20: 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.