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NAME
fp-fix-timestamps - helper script for the Free Pascal stack in Debian

SYNOPSIS
fp-fix-timestamps check|update|touch

DESCRIPTION

fp-fix-timestamps is meant to be used by Debian source packages in the Free Pascal stack. The primary location for use is the debian/rules file. The aim of this script is to fix the timestamps of patched files (with respect to upstream) that would otherwise end up changing the timestamp stored in ppu files.

This timestamp in ppu files has two issues:

1.  It deteriorates reproducible builds.

2.  Reverse dependent packages that also build ppu files may believe that the source has changed and either require recompilation of the source or at least require recalculation all the time.

Currently this script supports three operations.

1.  touch: The main operation is to touch the files that are listed in debian/source/timestamps to the associated timestamps (in that same file).

2.  check: When the situation is simple and the only changes in the package to the source come from patches, the check option can be used to verify that the list in debian/source/timestamps is still up-to-date in the sense that all files touched by patches are listed and that all files listed are touched by patches.

3.  update: Similar to check, but also update the debian/source/timestamps file.

When the maintainer scripts modify a source file outside of the patches, the maintainer is free to add those files manually to the timestamps file, but then the check and update options don't work as expected anymore.

SEE ALSO
https://wiki.debian.org/ReproducibleBuilds/TimestampsInPPUGeneratedByFPC

AUTHOR
Paul Gevers <elbrus@debian.org>