Re: Bootstrapping from binary blob shipped in the source package

On Sunday 20 July 2008 03:40:21 Marco d'Itri wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> >> Some packages (notably compilers) avoid cyclic build dependencies by
> >> shipping some sort of pre-compiled blob in the source package.  This
> >> blob is then used to compile the package.
> >>
> >> Does this fullfil the requirement that packages in main must be built
> >> from source code?
> >
> >Is there really no interest in this topic?
>
> There is nothing wrong with using a precompiled compiler to bootstrap
> the package in Debian, but after there is a working package in the
> archive it should not be used anymore (for reliability issues, not
> freedom issues).
> And anyway, a working binary program is not a "pre-compiled blob".

What about a binary blob that, when executed, prints out the C source code 
that was used to compile it? ;)

-- 
Wesley J. Landaker <[email protected]> <xmpp:[email protected]>
OpenPGP FP: 4135 2A3B 4726 ACC5 9094  0097 F0A9 8A4C 4CD6 E3D2

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