XPost: linux.debian.policy

Hi Bastien,

On Sat, Jul 12, 2025 at 11:40:49AM +0200, Bastien Roucaries wrote:

I will prefer at the begining a general introduction for giving context.

Something along the line at the top:

On Debian, multi-arch support allows you to install and run software packages built for different CPU architectures on the same system, even using user or system emulation. It may be used for cross building or for compatibility for legacy installation

[...]

+architecture-dependentinterfaces and therefore architecture-indpenedent
^ typo

Confirmed.

+Conversely, packages must not use other packages in ways declined by
+their ``debian/README.multiarch``.

This should be documented as an installed to /usr/share/doc file or a source only file.

From my point of view, it is reasonably clear that this path refers to
the source package. It also is developer information and not generally
useful for installed systems.

+ It may check the
+``DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_PACKAGE_REFCOUNT`` environment variable set by
+``dpkg``.

This variable should be should be shortly described. Does it decrease with deinstallation until 0....

Please refer to man 1 dpkg. Policy cannot cover each and every aspect
and some of the matter is deferred to individual tool's documentation.

Helmut

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