python2.6 related changes, some advices when merging from Debian

[Luca Falavigna]

Hello,

here's another update of Python 2.6 transition to summarize where we
are, and what should be achieved in the immediate future.


== BACKGROUND ==

Debian recently introduced changes to some core tools (debhelper,
cdbs, python-support and python-central) to ease transition for upcoming
python2.6 upload unstable.

These changes have been merged back in Lucid as well, they simplify
handling of python2.6 transition a lot, so in most cases there should
be no need of packaging changes [1] anymore.

For those packages which still require manual changes, bugs were filed
on BTS [2], and several developers and contributors are working on
those to close them all in order to ease inclusion of python2.6.


== HOW TO MANAGE UBUNTU DELTAS ==

At the time python2.6 was uploaded in Jaunty, Ubuntu hadn't core tools
immediately available, so several packages received per-package fixes
to let them work with new Python version.

I created a script which displays packages with Ubuntu changes depending
on python(2.?), its output can be found at [3]. It doesn't filter
packages for Python 2.6 related changes, though, so you will have some
unrelated packages listed.

If you plan to merge one of the packages involved, be sure to
double-check Ubuntu patches first (by test-building vanilla Debian
package) because several of them are no longer needed. If a given patch
is still necessary, check if a bug was filed in the BTS [2] and
eventually file a new one using this pseudo-header:

Package: $package_name
Version: $latest_Debian_package_version
Severity: important
User: debian-python at lists.debian.org
Usertags: python2.6


== FURTHER REFERENCE ==

If you are unsure about how to proceed with a given patch, or if you
see strange behaviours on some packages, join #debian-python (OFTC
network) and discuss about the matter. This way, things will be managed
for both distributions at the same time.


[1] https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2009-May/028266.html
[2] http://tiny.pl/hqwjz
[3] http://people.debian.org/~dktrkranz/python_packages/





Regards,

-- 
  .''`.
 :  :' :   Luca Falavigna <dktrkranz at ubuntu.com>
 `.  `'
   `-
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