Bug#1142295: debian-policy: Policy major digit should match the Debian release version

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On Fri, Jul 17, 2026 at 03:36:24PM +0300, Martin-=C3=89ric Racine wrote:
> pe 17.7.2026 klo 15.19 Guillem Jover ([email protected]) kirjoitti:
> > On Fri, 2026-07-17 at 15:04:00 +0300, Martin-=C3=89ric Racine wrote:
> > > Package: debian-policy
> > > Severity: wishlist
> > > X-Debbugs-Cc: [email protected]
> > >
> > > Standards-Version 4.7.4 was introduced during the development of
> > > Debian 14, but the version number doesn't reflect that.
> >
> > > Meanwhile, debhelper-compat 14 was introduced during the same develop=
ment
> > > cycle and it indeed matches the upcoming Debian release version.
> > >
> > > I propose that, from now on, Debian Policy switches to a 3-part versi=
on:
> > >
> > > x.y.z
> > >
> > > Where X denotes the Debian release (e.g. 14 for Forky) during which
> > > the policy was introduced, X denotes major changes in policy or
> > > packaging, Y denotes minor adjustments in policy or packaging.
> > >
> > > As an example, the current 4.7.4 could be renumbered to 14.7.4 to
> > > reflect the ongoing development schedule.
> >
> > The problem is that the Debian Policy and debhelper are not alike. In
> > the Debian Policy case, major changes are added whenever, regardless of
> > a specific start of a Debian release cycle. For debhelper, incompatible
> > or breaking changes get accumulated in the next compat level and then
> > released, which makes it easy to sync with a Debian release cycle, and
> > by definition all those changes will be major.
> >
> > Using the Debian release number for the Debian Policy would mean that
> > the first component would no longer imply major changes in the Policy,
> > just the time when they happened in the Debian release cycle.
>=20
> That would be the whole point. The first digit would now have a
> concrete significance. It would indicate during which Debian release
> cycle the packaging was last updated.

To reword Guillem's point, the first digit does indeed have
an extremely concrete significance right now, pretty much semver-like,
and that is really useful IMHO.

G'luck,
Peter

--=20
Peter Pentchev  [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
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