Debian Package Smells

A recent blog post by Lucas Nussbaum has pointed me at the smell of my packages in Debian. It turned out they smell a lot it seems:

Norbert Preining 

    asymptote (U)        git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.47-2)
    biber (U)            git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.12-2)
    cafeobj              should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 1.5.9-1)
    cafeobj              git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 1.5.9-1)
    calibre              should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 3.39.1+dfsg-2)
    calibre              git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 3.39.1+dfsg-2)
    cm-super (U)         uses 1.0 source format. Should still move to 3.0, even if no changes are made to upstream sources. (source version: 0.3.4-14)
    cm-super (U)         should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 0.3.4-14)
    cm-super (U)         git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.3.4-14)
    context (U)          should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2018.04.04.20181118-2)
    context (U)          git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2018.04.04.20181118-2)
    context-modules (U)  should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 20181123-2)
    context-modules (U)  git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 20181123-2)
    gwaei                should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 3.6.2-6)
    gwaei                git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 3.6.2-6)
    latex209 (U)         debhelper compatibility level: 5 (source version: 25.mar.1992-18)
    latex209 (U)         should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 25.mar.1992-18)
    latex209 (U)         git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 25.mar.1992-18)
    latexml (U)          should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 0.8.3-2)
    latexml (U)          git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.8.3-2)
    lmodern (U)          uses 1.0 source format. Should still move to 3.0, even if no changes are made to upstream sources. (source version: 2.004.5-6)
    lmodern (U)          should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2.004.5-6)
    lmodern (U)          git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.004.5-6)
    maildir-utils        should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 1.0-7)
    maildir-utils        git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 1.0-7)
    onedrive             git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.2.6-2)
    pycson               git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.7-2)
    speg                 git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.3-2)
    tex-common (U)       uses 1.0 source format. Should still move to 3.0, even if no changes are made to upstream sources. (source version: 6.11)
    tex-common (U)       should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 6.11)
    tex-common (U)       git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 6.11)
    tex-gyre (U)         should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 20180621-3)
    tex-gyre (U)         git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 20180621-3)
    texinfo (U)          should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 6.5.0.dfsg.1-5)
    texinfo (U)          git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 6.5.0.dfsg.1-5)
    texlive-base (U)     should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2018.20190227-2)
    texlive-base (U)     git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2018.20190227-2)
    texlive-bin (U)      git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2018.20181218.49446-2)
    texlive-extra (U)    should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2018.20190227-1)
    texlive-extra (U)    git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2018.20190227-1)
    texlive-lang (U)     should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2018.20190227-2)
    texlive-lang (U)     git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2018.20190227-2)
    texworks (U)         git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.6.2-4)
    texworks-manual (U)  git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 20150506-3)
    xindy (U)            should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2.5.1.20160104-6)
    xindy (U)            git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.5.1.20160104-6)
    xxhash               git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 0.6.5-3)

Norbert Preining 

    alqalam (U)          debhelper compatibility level: 7 (source version: 0.2-8)
    alqalam (U)          does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa. (source version: 0.2-8)
    cjk (U)              should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 4.8.4+git20170127-2)
    cjk (U)              does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa. (source version: 4.8.4+git20170127-2)
    latex-cjk-chinese-arphic (U) uses 1.0 source format. Should still move to 3.0, even if no changes are made to upstream sources. (source version: 1.23)
    latex-cjk-chinese-arphic (U) should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 1.23)
    latex-cjk-chinese-arphic (U) does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa. (source version: 1.23)
    latex-cjk-japanese-wadalab (U) should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 0.20050817-17)
    latex-cjk-japanese-wadalab (U) does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa. (source version: 0.20050817-17)
    tipa (U)             debhelper compatibility level: 8 (source version: 2:1.3-20)
    tipa (U)             should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2:1.3-20)
    tipa (U)             does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa. (source version: 2:1.3-20)
    xindy (U)            should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper (source version: 2.5.1.20160104-6)
    xindy (U)            git repository should move to salsa. (source version: 2.5.1.20160104-6)

Sorting this after the “smell” I get

• 27 times git repository should move to salsa: Well, recent history showed that might lock me out of access to the repos, so it won’t happen.
• 22 times should switch to dh. Current build system: debhelper: Yes, that might be a good idea, but I haven’t come around to work on that.
• 5 times does not use git (uses svn instead). Should switch to git on salsa: These are mostly outdated and archived packages, and those of other’s responsability.
• 4 times uses 1.0 source format. Should still move to 3.0, even if no changes are made to upstream sources: Hmmm, not really convinced about that, in particular since some are native packages. But well, can be done.
• 1 time each debhelper compatibility level: 5/7/8: That is the easiest to be fixed.

So all in all, I think my packages are not that stinky, besides the salsa disagreement. If you want more information about the smells and trends, visit https://trends.debian.net/. Thanks to Lucas for the interesting graphs and statistics!

Enjoy.