dpkg-dev: can't unpack old packages without Format field

[Rolf Leggewie]

From http://bugs.debian.org/574097:

".dsc files haven't always had a Format field. It was introduced in dpkg 1.6.13, in May 2000. This means that it's still not entirely implausible to run across source packages without Format"

This means that it isn't always possible to unpack old source packages on lucid, which can be inconvenient when doing archaeology.

Details of the fix, including the patch, are available in the linked Debian bug. This fix is in maverick via Debian.

TEST CASE: Download the source package from http://snapshot.debian.org/package/nethack-spoilers/3.2.2-1/ and attempt to unpack it using 'dpkg-source -x nethack-spoilers_3.2.2-1.dsc'.

I see little potential for regressions, but it would be worth double-checking that some other modern .dsc file can still be unpacked.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

the issue is fixed in the maverick version

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Subscribing Colin to the bug, do you think that's something that should be backported to lucid?

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Yes, it would be a good idea I think.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I've uploaded the patch in question to lucid-proposed for review.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

I've enabled lucid-proposed and looked in http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/d/dpkg/?C=M;O=D but FWIW cannot find the updated package there.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I didn't say it had been accepted into lucid-proposed.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

I've now been pointed to the unapproved queue. Took the dsc file from there and rebuilt it locally. FWIW, the package did not fix the error for me. Furthermore, the package increased substantially in size (about 1MB), certainly much more than I would have expected.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Accepted dpkg into lucid-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I don't know why you had a huge size increase; if you look at the source diff, it's tiny. The official build will be in the archive in a few tens of minutes. I've checked, and the size change is trivial.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

doesn't work with the package from -proposed, either.

$ dpkg -l dpkg
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Cfg-files/Unpacked/Failed-cfg/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-=============================-=============================-==========================================================================
ii dpkg 1.15.5.6ubuntu4.2 Debian package management system

$ dpkg-source -x nethack-spoilers_3.2.2-1.dsc
dpkg-source: error: missing critical source control field Format

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

1.15.5.6ubuntu4.2 has been superseded by the security update 1.15.5.6ubuntu4.3. 1.15.5.6ubuntu4.3 was a no change rebuild since it statically links libbz2 and bzip2 had a recent security update. Feel free to simply reupload with a higher version number.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Reopening, since this also failed verification.

[Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog)]

One year later I think it's no longer worth fixing in lucid... feel free to revert Colin if you still plan to update the package in lucid.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Well, for what it's worth lucid does still have almost 4 years of life left in it. If it's not too much trouble, I'd certainly welcome a fix in lucid.