Package: lintian Version: 1.20.17 Severity: wishlist Tags: patch > Rather than mass filing bugs, can you write a lintian check for it > instead?
As promised, here is the check: diff -u -urNad old/copyright-file new/copyright-file --- old/copyright-file 2002-08-20 23:04:54.000000000 +0200 +++ new/copyright-file 2002-08-20 23:04:41.000000000 +0200 @@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ print "W: $pkg $type: copyright-does-not-refer-to-common-license-file $1\n"; } +if (m,(under )?(the )?(same )?(terms )?as Perl itself,i && + !(m,usr/share/common-licenses/, || m,usr/share/doc/perl,)) { + print "E: $pkg: $type: copyright-file-missing-pointer-to-perl-license\n"; +} + exit 0; # ----------------------------------- diff -u -urNad old/copyright-file.desc new/copyright-file.desc --- old/copyright-file.desc 2002-08-20 23:04:54.000000000 +0200 +++ new/copyright-file.desc 2002-08-20 23:04:36.000000000 +0200 @@ -112,3 +112,10 @@ Ref: policy 13.6 Info: In the directory name /usr/share/common-licenses, licenses is spelt with an `s', not with as licences with a `c'. + +Tag: copyright-file-missing-pointer-to-perl-license +Type: error +Ref: policy 13.6 +Info: If your package is released under the same terms as Perl itself, + it should either refer to the Artistic and GPL files in the + /usr/share/common/licenses directory, or to /usr/share/doc/perl/copyright. Obviously, this is tuned for Perl modules released under the same terms as Perl itself. The check is tested outside of lintian, and appears to work correctly. I hope it'll work in lintian too.