[Build-common-hackers] CDBS code repository on line?

[Karl Hegbloom]

Hello, everyone.  Spring is finally here.  :-)

Do yous keep a source repository on line under some revision control
system?  I'd like to pull a copy to make some experimental patches on.
If they turn out to be right, I'll send them in.

In brief, I'm going to perform some minor adjustments that will make
creation of <pkg>-dbg easier and more automatic.  I didn't want a dbg
package to have a redundant copy of the documentation installed, and
attempted to put a symlink in /usr/share/doc, but the dh_installdocs
runs before the dh_links.

What I think I'll do (not done yet; not tested; might change) is to
either move the invocation of dh_installdocs down, move the dh_link up,
and make the dh_installdocs not run for the -dbg package...

I think that the link should just be created for a -dbg package, so you
don't even have to write the one line <pkg>.links file.  The order
change for dh_link and dh_installdocs should be done so that any
arbitrary package that wants to do the symlink in /usr/share/doc can do
so with a <pkg>.link file and either a Make variable listing packages to
not install docs for, or a target specific variable value for
DEB_INSTALL_DOCS_ALL, set to the empty, like:

 binary-install/gnome-power-manager-dbg :: DEB_INSTALL_DOCS_ALL :=

(syntax not tested; do I need the :: or should it only be a : ?)

I think that I prefer the variable listing packages to skip, since it
will provide simpler syntax.  What should that variable's name be?
(rhetorical; I'll RTFS, and choose a name that fits the consensus ||
convention already in use.)

Is there a Wiki for CDBS?  Someone should start a 'CDBS Cookbook'.  It
should have a beginners page (think "freshman" wannabe) that explains
what you should read first and provide a tour guide in order to fully
grok CDBS' .mk files.

Jeff Baily (hello, Jeff) mentioned something to me once about changing
from Make to some other language, more like 'automake', 'autogen', or
something.  I'm not sure about that idea; haven't thought it over much
myself yet.  I still need to read the autobook and the code to the
autotools system at some point...  I've never had to autoconfiscate
anything, and have deferred it.  So, has anything been done with that
idea?  Where can I read the discussions, discussion summaries, essays,
or whitepapers?  Where can I check out the code?

-- 
Karl Hegbloom <hegbloom at pdx.edu>