[buildd-tools-devel] Bug#693790: buildd: "local error" handling is rather inflexible

[Colin Watson]

Package: buildd
Version: 0.63.2-1
Severity: wishlist
User: ubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
Usertags: origin-ubuntu raring

I'm using buildd to run automatic cross-building tests.  In this
situation it's rather common for the installation of build-dependencies
to fail, which (either before or after the patch in #693788) causes
buildd to give the package back.  On the whole I suppose that's sort of
OK, although I do think that cross builds have a higher probability than
native builds of build-dependency installation failures requiring a
change to the package to fix.

However, if you get unlucky and encounter three such failures in
succession, then you enter the "Repeated mess with sbuild" case, and
buildd goes to sleep for an hour.  This is a real pain in an environment
where build-dependency installation can be expected to fail more
frequently than usual.

I've tweaked the "$main::sbuild_fails > 2" test to read
"$main::sbuild_fails > 20" instead, and it seems to be behaving quite
reasonably.  Would it be possible to make this threshold configurable so
that I don't have to change the code to do this?

Thanks,

-- 
Colin Watson                                       [cjwatson at ubuntu.com]