Bug#595928: python-mechanize: New upstream version available

[Mikhail Lukyanchenko]

2010/9/9 Brian Sutherland <brian at vanguardistas.net>:
> I reviewed the package you uploaded to
> http://mentors.debian.net/cgi-bin/sponsor-pkglist?action=details;package=python-mechanize
> and have a number of questions/comments.
>
> 1.  The upstream changelog [1] states for 0.2.0: "ClientForm has been
>    merged into mechanize.  This means that mechanize has no dependencies
>    other than Python itself. ... I probably won't do further standalone
>    releases of ClientForm."
>
>    So why does the package still depend on python-clientform?
>
> 2.  Why does the package now have "XS-Python-Version: >= 2.6" in
>    debian/control and "2.5-" in debian/pyversions? At best that's
>    inconsistent.
>
>    Upstream claims to support any python version above 2.4 [2]
>
>    What's up?

There's no reason for 1 and 2. Just dirty packaging.

> 3.  Looking at the changelog of zope.testbrowser [3], it appears
>    incompatible with versions of python-mechanize above 0.2.0.
>
>    A new zope.testbrowser version would have to be uploaded to
>    prevent breakage there. That may require changes elsewhere as the
>    differences between our current zope.testbrowser and the latest are
>    quite large.

Indeed, current Squeeze version of zope.testbrowser should be
incompatible with my mechanize upload. But I'm not sure how to resolve
this issue because I have no experience with zope.

> 4.  Squeeze is frozen [4]. Perhaps now is not the time to introduce
>    major new versions of packages that trigger breakage in other
>    packages? You need a very strong reasoning for that, what is it?

You are absolutely right. As I was told at debian-mentors list I
should have targeted this upload at experimental.

> Given points 3 and 4, I'm afraid of uploading this package before
> squeeze is released. Afterwards, it definitely should be uploaded along
> with a new version of zope.testbrowser at least.

I'll improve my package according to your comments 1 and 2 and then
will have a look if I could package current zope.testbrowser release.
But I'm afraid I have no sufficient expertise to deal with it.

It would be a shame if Debian stuck with outdated mechanize release. I
currently develop mechanize-dependant project which I plan to
distribute as Debian package. And I'm pretty sure it won't run with
pre-0.2 mechanize.