[ubuntu-dev] Bug#776442: backportpackage: doesn't follow conventions on Debian

[Samuel Bronson]

Package: ubuntu-dev-tools
Version: 0.143
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

The "backportpackage" doesn't appear to follow the
backports.debian.org conventions properly: it uses a strange version
numbering scheme, rather than doing what it says on
<http://backports.debian.org/Contribute/>, namely:

  * Append "~bpo${debian_release}+${build_int}" to the version number,
    e.g. "1.2.3-4" now becomes "1.2.3-4~bpo60+1", or for native
    packages, "1.2.3" becomes "1.2.3~bpo60+1".

Also, it seems that it should ideally check what version's in the
target distro/backports already and pass it to dpkg-builpackage after
"-v":

  * Include all changelog entries since the last version on
    debian-backports or since stable if it's the first version. You
    should do this by passing "-v" to dpkg-buildpackage. Eg: "debuild
    -v0.7.5-2", where "0.7.5-2" is the version in stable. If the
    package wasn't in stable or backports before you don't have
    include the changelog entrys (but you are free to do so).

Though, honestly, that would not have helped me much because I had to
unpack the package anyway in order to build it with debuild -- I don't
really feel the need to use a chroot for a private build targetting
the release I'm on ...

-- Thanks,
Samuel Bronson

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 7.8
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 3.2.0-4-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages ubuntu-dev-tools depends on:
ii  binutils                   2.22-8+deb7u2
ii  dctrl-tools                2.22.2
ii  devscripts                 2.12.6+deb7u2
ii  diffstat                   1.55-3
ii  distro-info                0.10
ii  dpkg-dev                   1.16.15
ii  lsb-release                4.1+Debian8+deb7u1
ii  perl                       5.14.2-21+deb7u2
ii  python                     2.7.3-4+deb7u1
ii  python-apt                 0.8.8.2
ii  python-debian              0.1.21
ii  python-distro-info         0.10
ii  python-httplib2            0.7.4-2+deb7u1
ii  python-launchpadlib        1.9.12-2
ii  python-lazr.restfulclient  0.12.0-2+deb7u1
ii  python2.6                  2.6.8-1.1
ii  python2.7                  2.7.3-6+deb7u2
ii  sudo                       1.8.5p2-1+nmu1

Versions of packages ubuntu-dev-tools recommends:
ii  bzr                     2.6.0~bzr6526-1
ii  bzr-builddeb            2.8.4
ii  ca-certificates         20130119+deb7u1
ii  cowdancer               0.70
ii  debian-archive-keyring  2014.3~deb7u1
ii  debian-keyring          2013.04.21
ii  debootstrap             1.0.48+deb7u2
ii  dput                    0.9.6.3+nmu2
ii  genisoimage             9:1.1.11-2
ii  libwww-perl             6.04-1
ii  lintian                 2.5.30+deb8u2~bpo70+1
ii  patch                   2.6.1-3
ii  pbuilder                0.213
ii  perl-modules            5.14.2-21+deb7u2
ii  python-dns              2.3.6-1+deb7u1
ii  python-gnupginterface   0.3.2-9.1
ii  python-soappy           0.12.0-4
ii  quilt                   0.60-2
ii  reportbug               6.4.4+deb7u1

Versions of packages ubuntu-dev-tools suggests:
pn  ipython            <none>
ii  python             2.7.3-4+deb7u1
ii  python-simplejson  2.5.2-1
pn  qemu-user-static   <none>

-- no debconf information