[Reproducible-builds] Bug#138409: dpkg-dev: please add support for .buildinfo files

[Jérémy Bobbio]

Jérémy Bobbio:
> The attached patch will enable dpkg-buildpackage to create .buildinfo
> files as specified on the Debian wiki [1]. They have two main purposes:
> 
>  * recording information about the system environment used during a
>    particular build—versions of the build dependencies installed, system
>    architecture, etc. for easier forensics/debugging;
>  * describe how to recreate (partially or in full) the original
>    environment when trying to reproduce a particular build.

I think the proposed patch is missing a field to record some environment
variables that can affect the build process. Right now, I'm thinking of
DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS and DEB_flag_{SET,STRIP,APPEND,PREPEND} (from
dpkg-buildflags). Maybe others? Build profiles?

Initially I was against recording such information, but now that we
understand the purpose of .buildinfo files better and not mandate that
they be reproducible themselves, it doesn't matter if one contains
`DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS=parallel=4` and the other
`DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS=parallel=16`. It is the responsibility of users
trying to recreate a given package to filter this out.

-- 
Lunar                                .''`. 
lunar at debian.org                    : :Ⓐ  :  # apt-get install anarchism
                                    `. `'` 
                                      `-   
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