[Reproducible-builds] Bug#801885: autoconf2.13: Package contains /usr/share/man/man1/ChangeLog.1.gz if built under certain locales

[Santiago Vila]

Package: autoconf2.13
Version: 2.13-66
Severity: wishlist
X-Debbugs-Cc: reproducible-builds at lists.alioth.debian.org
User: reproducible-builds at lists.alioth.debian.org
Usertags: locale
Tags: patch

Hi.

While working on the “reproducible builds” effort [1], we have noticed
that this package could not be built reproducibly.

 [1] https://wiki.debian.org/ReproducibleBuilds

The problem is in this line from debian/rules:

cp [a-z]*.1 $M

Under LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8 and several other common locales, and also
because debian/rules has "SHELL=/bin/bash", this includes ChangeLog.1,
which has the funny effect of including a changelog as if it were a
manpage, as shown in diffoscope output:

 [...]
 drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2015-09-06 18:48:51 ./usr/share/man/
 drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2015-09-06 18:48:51 ./usr/share/man/man1/
+-rw-r--r-- root/root     20044 2015-09-06 18:48:51 ./usr/share/man/man1/ChangeLog.1.gz
 -rw-r--r-- root/root      1321 2015-09-06 18:48:51 ./usr/share/man/man1/autoconf2.13.1.gz
 -rw-r--r-- root/root      1896 2015-09-06 18:48:51 ./usr/share/man/man1/autoheader2.13.1.gz
 [...]

Patch attached.

[ Note: We usually submit most bugs as wishlist, but I'm not sure
  about this one. What would happen if somebody ever has to make a NMU
  for this package and does not have LANG=C in the environment? ].

Thanks.
-------------- next part --------------
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 	dh_installchangelogs
 	dh_installdocs
 	install -d $M
-	cp [a-z]*.1 $M
+	LC_ALL=C cp [a-z]*.1 $M
 	for d in auto{{re,}conf,scan,update,header} ifnames; do	\
 		mv $D/usr/share/man/man1/$${d}{,2.13}.1;	\
 	done