reassign 540341 release.debian.org
retitle 540341 "RM: apt-cross -- ROM; RC buggy"
User: release.debian....@packages.debian.org
Usertags: rm
quit

I'd like to ask for apt-cross to be removed from Squeeze to fix the RC
bug #591457 and a long standing bug, #502433 which, together with
other internal issues, make apt-cross unsuitable for release alongside
the version of apt already in Squeeze. apt-cross has suffered from the
changes in apt which have been made during the Squeeze release freeze.
These problems mostly have workarounds but still make apt-cross less
and less user-friendly. All these issues come down to the design model
of apt-cross which involves parsing the apt cache data via
libapt-pkg-perl. The apt-cross cross-dependency resolver algorithm is
also incompatible with recent changes in Policy, see:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-embedded/2010/06/msg00047.html

I do have a replacement - pdebuild-cross
contains /usr/share/pdebuild-cross/xapt but the version in Squeeze is
only really suitable inside a chroot. I do have an improved version
which is waiting in the NEW queue aimed at experimental (using it
outside the chroot does mean that xapt should be a separate package)
after some work in Ubuntu by Wookey.

So, I've uploaded the separate xapt package to the Emdebian toolchain
repositories, i.e. alongside the toolchains which are needed to make
apt-cross or xapt useful. (No point having -cross packages without a
cross toolchain.)

Cross-building is difficult in Debian right now anyway, there never was
much hope that apt-cross would remain serviceable during the migration
to Multiarch, xapt stands a better chance by using a simpler design.

After Squeeze, I'll upload a new version of the emdebian-crush source
package to provide a binary xapt package intended for unstable - at
which point I'll seek the removal of apt-cross from unstable. When
Multiarch finally supports cross-building, xapt itself is likely to be
removed too, along with dpkg-cross.

-- 


Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
http://e-mail.is-not-s.ms/

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