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

Simon Josefsson <[email protected]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:07:57 +0100

Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.devel.policy
Message-ID	<87a4w6pn0i.fsf__7181.12785122997$1773756597$gmane$org@josefsson.org>

Bill Allombert <[email protected]> writes:

> On Tue, Mar 17, 2026 at 02:31:30PM +0100, Simon Josefsson wrote:
>> Bill Allombert <[email protected]> writes:
>> 
>> >> 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.
>> 
>> I'm not sure I follow here.  How?  From a design point of view, having a
>> Files Excluded/Included wildcard list seems like a reasonable approach.
>> And people will need to opt-in to use some mechanism, or do things
>> manually.
>
> mk-origtargz does not process Files-Excluded in debian/copyright if
> debian/copyright is not in the new copyright-format.

Right.  Would you want it to behave in any other way?

If someone dislikes the new copyright-format, they can do things
manually.  Or come up with a new specification how to do things, and try
to gain adoption of that.  There is no direct conflict with any of that
compared to documenting the current approach.

>> Is your concern that the existing fields hi-jack the debian/copyright
>> file, when those fields could have been put in a different file?
>
> Indeed.

Thanks for clarifying.

I see your point, and can sympathize, but I think this is a case where
the current situation is not perfect, but it so widely used and fixing
all those occurances is a lot of work compared to merely document and
accept what is currently used and working.

If there would be some actual substantial GAIN from changing all Files-*
in debian/copyright to using some new format, that is a better argument,
but even then I see no problem to document the current approach.

/Simon

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