[MIR] pps-tools

[Kick In]

[Availability]
The package is already present in universe:
 pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | trusty/universe | source, amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, powerpc, ppc64el
 pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | vivid/universe | source, amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, powerpc, ppc64el
 pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | wily/universe | source, amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, powerpc, ppc64el
 pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | xenial/universe | source, amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, powerpc, ppc64el, s390x

It is in sync with debian:
pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | oldstable | source, amd64, armel, armhf, i386, ia64, mips, mipsel, powerpc, s390, s390x, sparc
pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | stable | source, amd64, arm64, armel, armhf, i386, mips, mipsel, powerpc, ppc64el, s390x
pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | stable-kfreebsd | source
pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | testing | source, amd64, arm64, armel, armhf, i386, mips, mipsel, powerpc, ppc64el, s390x
pps-tools | 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 | unstable | source, amd64, arm64, armel, armhf, i386, mips, mips64el, mipsel, powerpc, ppc64el, s390

[Rationale]
This package is a new build-dependency for NTP. It is needed to be able to build PPS support into NTP (as per request in bug: #1512980)
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ntp/+bug/1512980

[Security]
This package doesn't seem to have known vulnerabilities as per Debian CVE, Ubuntu CVE, or othere vulnerabilities tracker
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/source-package/pps-tools
http://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/pkg/pps-tools.html
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi, searched for pps and pps-tools).

There are some warnings though, because there is a hardening-no-relro warning and an ancient-standards-version warning.
https://<email address hidden>#pps-tools

So, if the security requires it, we can create a temporary delta to fix those issues while reasonably request those changes to be included into Debian archives.

[Quality assurance]

This package is mainly needed because it contains the necessary headers to make PPS support available for NTP. There are some user-space binaries to allow setup and use of the PPS kernel discipline.

This is the package description:
 This package includes the necessary headers for using LinuxPPS PPSAPI
 kernel interface in user-space applications and several support tools:
  * ppstest: PPSAPI interface tester
  * ppsldisc: setup correct RS232 line discipline
  * ppswatch: continuously print PPS timestamps
  * ppsctl: PPS device manager
  * ppsfind: find pps device by name

[Dependencies]
It only depends on 'already in main' dependencies.

[Standards compliance]
It complies to standard compliances (FHS and Debian policy).

[Maintenance]
Seems to not require much maintenance. Can be kept in sync with Debian, except if we need to change the build flags to add fPIE, bindnow, and relro.

[Background information]
This is a new dependency required to be able to build PPS support into NTP.

[Michael Terry (mterry)]

This looks fine. I believe Ubuntu does a lot of hardening by default in gcc (and I don't get those lintian warnings locally).

Doesn't seem like it will take much maintenance.

[Matthias Klose (doko)]

Override component to main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial: universe/devel -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial amd64: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial arm64: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial armhf: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial i386: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial powerpc: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial ppc64el: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
pps-tools 0.20120406+g0deb9c7e-2 in xenial s390x: universe/devel/extra/100% -> main
8 publications overridden.