XPost: linux.debian.policy   
   From: guillem@debian.org   
      
   Hi!   
      
   On Sat, 2026-02-07 at 17:02:20 -0800, Russ Allbery wrote:   
   > Here is a proposed change incorporating this change and Guillem's   
   > feedback. Does this look good to everyone? (I moved one footnote because   
   > we now try to keep footnotes immediately after the paragraph they refer to   
   > and the added footnote would otherwise be out of order.)   
      
   Great, thanks!   
      
   > >From 19414e709a7dd38f35e621474c94a0931c2f6835 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001   
   > From: Russ Allbery    
   > Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2026 16:58:35 -0800   
   > Subject: [PATCH] Allow *.so files to be linker scripts   
   >   
   > In some cases, *.so files installed by binary development packages   
   > for libraries are linker scripts instead of symlinks. Document that,   
   > and document the constraints imposed by ldconfig on linker scripts.   
   > Based on wording from Aurelien Jarno and feedback from Guillem Jover.   
   >   
   > Closes: #1095039   
   > ---   
   >  policy/ch-sharedlibs.rst | 32 +++++++++++++++++++++-----------   
   >  1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)   
   >   
   > diff --git a/policy/ch-sharedlibs.rst b/policy/ch-sharedlibs.rst   
   > index 69b79d3..cdd2e37 100644   
   > --- a/policy/ch-sharedlibs.rst   
   > +++ b/policy/ch-sharedlibs.rst   
   > @@ -247,29 +247,39 @@ at a time, librarynameapiversion-dev. Installing the   
   development package   
   >  must result in installation of all the development files necessary for   
   >  compiling programs against that shared library.  [#]_   
   >   
   > +.. [#] This wording allows the development files to be split into several   
   > +       packages, such as a separate architecture-independent   
   > +       libraryname-headers, provided that the development package depends   
   > +       on all the required additional packages.   
   > +   
   >  In case several development versions of a library exist, you may need to   
   >  use ``dpkg``'s Conflicts mechanism (see :ref:`s-conflicts`) to ensure that   
   >  the user only installs one development version at a time (as different   
   >  development versions are likely to have the same header files in them,   
   >  which would cause a filename clash if both were unpacked).   
   >   
   > -The development package should contain a symlink for the associated   
   > -shared library without a version number. For example, the libgdbm-dev   
   > -package should include a symlink from ``/usr/lib/libgdbm.so`` to   
   > -``libgdbm.so.3.0.0``. This symlink is needed by the linker (``ld``) when   
   > -compiling packages, as it will only look for ``libgdbm.so`` when   
   > -compiling dynamically.   
   > +The development package should contain either a symlink or a linker script   
   > +[#]_ for the associated shared library without a version number. For   
   > +example, the ``libgdbm-dev`` package should include a symlink from   
   > +:file:`/usr/lib/libgdbm.so` to :file:`libgdbm.so.3.0.0`, or a linker   
   > +script that achieves the same effect. This symlink or linker script is   
   > +needed by the linker (:command:`ld`) when compiling packages, as it will   
   > +only look for :file:`libgdbm.so` when compiling dynamically.   
   > +   
   > +.. [#] Linker scripts are used when more flexible linking strategies are   
   > +       desired, such as conditionally linking with an additional library   
   > +       or falling back to a static library for some symbols.   
   > +   
   > +If the package installs a linker script, be aware that :command:`ldconfig`   
   > +requires the linker script be shorter than 32 bytes, or contain either the   
      
   (As a non-native speaker, I'm not sure whether "script be shorter" is   
   missing a "to" in front of the "be"?)   
      
   > +``GROUP`` directive or the string ``GNU ld script`` in a comment in the   
   > +first 512 bytes.   
   >   
   >  If the package provides Ada Library Information (``*.ali``) files for use   
   >  with GNAT, these files must be installed read-only (mode 0444) so that   
   >  GNAT will not attempt to recompile them. This overrides the normal file   
   >  mode requirements given in :ref:`s-permissions-owners`.   
   >   
   > -.. [#] This wording allows the development files to be split into several   
   > -       packages, such as a separate architecture-independent   
   > -       libraryname-headers, provided that the development package depends   
   > -       on all the required additional packages.   
   > -   
   >  .. _s-sharedlibs-intradeps:   
   >   
   >  Dependencies between the packages of the same library   
      
   Seconded, with or without the s/desired/required/ change suggested   
   elsethread and the perhaps missing "to".   
      
   Thanks,   
   Guillem   
      
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