[Build-common-hackers] Bug#641253: cdbs: Missing debhelper build-dep at compat 8 or higher

[Geoffrey Thomas]

Package: cdbs
Version: 0.4.96

Hi,

debhelper.mk has hard-coded rules for debhelper compatibility levels 
DH_COMPAT = 4, 5, 6, and 7 to add build-dependencies on, respectively, 
debhelper, debhelper, debhelper (>= 6), and debhelper (>= 7.0.1). However, 
there is no such code for compatibility levels 8 or 9, and so no 
dependency on debhelper is added at all. It would be helpful to handle 
these, since there are interesting things in these two levels (I'm 
currently looking at a CDBS-using package with multiarch support, which is 
easier at compatibility level 9).

Please add code to add appropriate build-dependencies, preferably 
versioned build-dependencies on debhelper at compatibility levels 8 or 9. 
(For 9, I'm not really sure what you should do since debhelper 9 isn't out 
yet; a dependency on either (>= 8.1.3~), when compatibility level 9 was 
released, or (>= 8.9.1), the most recent change to the meaning of that 
compatibility level, seems reasonable to me in the interim. The first is 
suggested by the http://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch/Implementation page.)

It would also be nice if debhelper.mk added an unversioned 
build-dependency on debhelper, or perhaps a build-dependency on debhelper 
(>= $(DH_COMPAT)), for robustness to future versions it doesn't know about 
yet.

Thanks,
-- 
Geoffrey Thomas
http://ldpreload.com
geofft at ldpreload.com