Bug#1136791: adequate: update description and mention from package testing section

"Serafeim (Serafi) Zanikolas" <[email protected]> Sat, 16 May 2026 00:41:06 +0200

Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.devel.policy
Message-ID	<DIJM225TKLMR.1RRO2RNBTQFYD__2929.76929792843$1778884886$gmane$org@debian.org>

Package: developers-reference
Version: 14.8
Severity: minor
Tags: patch

hi,

here's a patch to update the section on adequate, and mention it from
"Testing a package".

in preparing that, I've realized that there's no mention of autopkgtest. I'll
file a separate bug about that.

thanks,
serafi

0001-pkgs-tools-update-adequate-section-and-recommend-it-.patch (text/x-patch, 2.6 KB)

From c7628825acbcd3bd9e727b8193f3151938b6e4a9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "Serafeim (Serafi) Zanikolas" <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 16 May 2026 00:32:14 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] pkgs, tools: update adequate section, and recommend it from
 "Testing the package"

---
 source/pkgs.rst  |  4 ++++
 source/tools.rst | 12 ++++++++----
 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/source/pkgs.rst b/source/pkgs.rst
index 169ae09..43339da 100644
--- a/source/pkgs.rst
+++ b/source/pkgs.rst
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ older version of the same Debian package around):
 -  Installing, upgrading and removal of packages can either be tested
    manually or by using the ``piuparts`` tool.
 
+-  With the package installed, run ``adequate <package name>`` to test its
+   installed state for policy violations. Ideally, you should automate this step
+   using ``autopkgtest`` (see :ref:`adequate`).
+
 -  Copy the source package in a different directory and try unpacking it
    and rebuilding it. This tests if the package relies on existing files
    outside of it, or if it relies on permissions being preserved on the
diff --git a/source/tools.rst b/source/tools.rst
index db19fd8..b68d68c 100644
--- a/source/tools.rst
+++ b/source/tools.rst
@@ -173,11 +173,13 @@ The differences can be shown in a text or HTML report or as JSON output.
 ``debian/patches/*`` and ``systemd.unit`` files and checks if URLs,
 VCS links and email address domains found therein are valid.
 
+.. _adequate:
+
 ``adequate``
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-``adequate`` checks packages installed on the system and reports bugs
-and policy violations.
+``adequate`` checks packages installed on the system and reports policy
+violations.
 
 The following checks are currently implemented:
 
@@ -185,13 +187,15 @@ The following checks are currently implemented:
 -  missing copyright file
 -  obsolete conffiles
 -  Python modules not byte-compiled
--  ``/bin`` and ``/sbin`` binaries requiring ``/usr/lib`` libraries
 -  missing libraries, undefined symbols, symbol size mismatches
--  license conflicts
 -  program name collisions
 -  missing alternatives
 -  missing ``binfmt`` interpreters and detectors
 -  missing ``pkg-config`` dependencies
+-  invalid user/group values in systemd/D-Bus/sysvinit files.
+
+See /usr/share/doc/adequate/README on how to have ``adequate`` be ran
+automatically using ``autopkgtest``.
 
 ``i18nspector``
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
2.47.3

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