[Python-modules-team] Bug#806867: python-scipy: FTBFS when built with dpkg-buildpackage -A (No module named scipy)

[Santiago Vila]

Package: src:python-scipy
Version: 0.16.1-1
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:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[...]
 debian/rules build-indep
(export MPLCONFIGDIR=. ; make -C doc html PYTHONPATH=../build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7)
make[1]: Entering directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/doc'
mkdir -p build/html build/doctrees
LANG=C sphinx-build -b html -d build/doctrees   source build/html 
Running Sphinx v1.3.1

Exception occurred:
  File "conf.py", line 58, in <module>
    import scipy
ImportError: No module named scipy
The full traceback has been saved in /tmp/sphinx-err-dX0KL_.log, if you want to report the issue to the developers.
Please also report this if it was a user error, so that a better error message can be provided next time.
A bug report can be filed in the tracker at <https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/issues>. Thanks!
Makefile:87: recipe for target 'html' failed
make[1]: *** [html] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/<<PKGBUILDDIR>>/doc'
debian/rules:37: recipe for target 'build-indep' failed
make: *** [build-indep] Error 2
dpkg-buildpackage: error: debian/rules build-indep gave error exit status 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry not to have a fix, as I am reporting many bugs similar to
this one. The common hints are:

* If the only architecture-independent packages are dummy transitional
ones and they were released with jessie, the easy fix is to drop them
now.

* When using "dh", it is allowed to use (independently)
optional targets override_dh_foo-arch and override_dh_foo-indep
(for several values of "foo").


Once that both "dpkg-buildpackage -A" and "dpkg-buildpackage -B" work
properly, the package would be suitable to be uploaded in source-only
form if you wish.

Thanks.