Bug#1131015: mention Files-Excluded/Included-* in copyright-format-1.0.xml

Simon Josefsson <[email protected]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:46:29 +0100

Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.devel.policy
Message-ID	<87v7euq4oa.fsf__28899.6258679376$1773733781$gmane$org@josefsson.org>

Bill Allombert <[email protected]> writes:

> On Mon, Mar 16, 2026 at 11:51:33PM +0100, Simon Josefsson wrote:
>> Package: debian-policy
>> Version: 4.7.3.0
>> Severity: wishlist
>> 
>> Hi!  The copyright specification
>> 
>> https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/copyright-format/1.0/
>> 
>> do not mention Files-Excluded/Included which are supported for a long
>> time by uscan and other tools.
>
> This is the opposite: Files-Excluded/Included was never part of the
> copyright-format specification, and packaging tools should not require the use
> of copyright-format since it is an optional format.  They should have used
> another file instead.

I agree it is a bad design.  But a lot of things aren't how we would
want them to be.  Documenting reality is sometimes better than hiding
things, hoping something better will come along.  I believe Files-* is
widely used in Debian packages already.  Is anyone working on a better
design?

Although what do you mean packaging tools shouldn't require the use of
copyright-format?  There is no requirement here, everything is opt-in.
The patch document these to be optional fields, for those who want to
use them as they are supported by uscan and mk-origtargz.

/Simon

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