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

On Tue, Mar 17, 2026 at 08:46:29AM +0100, Simon Josefsson wrote:
> 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. 

But Debian Policy purpose is higher than just documenting things
(which are already documented anyway).

> 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.

Getting uscan to call mk-origtargz to remove files requires using the new
copyright-format. Otherwise the maintainer need to call mk-origtargz
manually. We should do better.

Cheers,