checkinstall is not compatible with the recent changes Ubuntu made to dev packaging

[Rafael Belmonte]

Binary package hint: checkinstall

Checkinstall fails to build some packages, for instance kmess.
Copying files to the temporary directory...OK

Stripping ELF binaries and libraries...OK

Compressing man pages...OK

Building file list...OK

Building Debian package... FAILED!

*** Failed to build the package

dpkg-deb: parse error, in file `/var/tmp/tmp.wonjg31156/package/DEBIAN/control' near line 8 package `kmess':
`Depends' field, invalid package name `%{kdelibs_package}': must start with an alphanumeric

From the error message I get the impression that checkinstall is not compatible with the recent changes Ubuntu made to dev packaging.

This is using Kubuntu 8.10.
Checkinstall 1.6.1-7ubuntu1

I initially reported this as a kmess bug, but authors think that this is a checkinstall problem, see the discursion:
http://kmess.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3558

Thanks you.

[arky (arky)]

While building latest orca sources (2.17.x).

/docs/pydoc/Makefile.am
./docs/pydoc/Makefile
./docs/Makefile.am
./docs/Makefile
./AUTHORS
./ChangeLog
grep: /var/tmp/tmp.XXXXNP4NpP/newfile: No such file or directory

Copying files to the temporary directory...OK

Stripping ELF binaries and libraries...OK

Compressing man pages...OK

Building file list...OK

Building Debian package... FAILED!

*** Failed to build the package

Do you want to see the log file? [y]:

dpkg-deb: parse error, in file `/var/tmp/tmp.XXXXNP4NpP/package/DEBIAN/control' near line 8 package `orca':
 `Depends' field, syntax error after reference to package `python'

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10
Codename: karmic
iise@karmic-Kola:~/packages/orca/src/orca$

$ apt-cache policy checkinstall
checkinstall:
  Installed: 1.6.1-8
  Candidate: 1.6.1-8
  Version table:
 *** 1.6.1-8 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Andreas Noteng (andreas-noteng)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. If you could test the current Ubuntu development version, this would help us a lot.

[phsab (phsab)]

I can confirm that this bug still persists in Ubuntu 10.04.

[christian gudino-valdivia (chrisgudino)]

Got same error installing LAME

grep: /var/tmp/tmp.dInDvjg71u/newfile: No such file or directory

Copying files to the temporary directory...OK

Stripping ELF binaries and libraries...OK

Compressing man pages...OK

Building file list...OK

Building Debian package... FAILED!

*** Failed to build the package

Do you want to see the log file? [y]: y

dpkg-deb: parse error, in file '/var/tmp/tmp.dInDvjg71u/package/DEBIAN/control' near line 3 package '0--name-':
 newline in field name `Development/Libraries
/var/tmp/tmp.WAMZtGfY8r/dpkgbuild.log

$ apt-cache policy checkinstall
checkinstall:
  Installed: 1.6.1-10
  Candidate: 1.6.1-10
  Version table:
 *** 1.6.1-10 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

:$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS
Release: 10.04
Codename: lucid

This seems to be a problem with older releases as this was not encountered on 11.04.