Bug#375924: libsdl1.2: .la file leaks library dependencies

[Guillem Jover]

Package: libsdl1.2
Version: 1.2.10-3
Severity: important

Hi,

The current libsdl is leaking library dependencies through its .la
file, which is making all new packages linking against it to gain
unneeded dependencies. The problem is that once libsdl starts linking
against a new library (for example from directfb 0.9.24 to 0.9.25)
the packages built, will end up linking against both versions at the
same time.

I found out this problem when rebuilding all reverse build-depends
for directfb and then saw that some packages were depending on it
w/o a build-depends.

I remember this kind of issue happending repeatedly in the past, so
it would be really nice to get rid of the .la files and make upstream
switch instead to .pc files, also in this way deprecating sdl-config.

regards,
guillem