In the experimental branch of src:esptool, I've defined the following:
  * Testsuite: autopkgtest-pkg-pybuild in debian/control, to test the
    Python module.
  * Three superficial tests in debian/tests/control to test the CLI
    tools using --help.

TTBOMK this is valid configuration. autodep8(1) has a section titled
"COMBINING AUTO-GENERATED TESTS WITH MANUALLY SPECIFIED ONES" to cover
this use case.

Indeed, autodep8 generates a file that has the manual tests combined
with a pybuild-autopkgtest one. The pybuild-autopkgtest one is *not*
marked as as superficial[1], as evident by the autodep8 output.

As another piece of evidence, autopkgtest reports:
  autopkgtest [13:39:27]: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ summary
  smoke-esptool        PASS (superficial)
  smoke-espefuse       PASS (superficial)
  smoke-espsecure      PASS (superficial)
  pybuild-autopkgtest  PASS

However, lintian is warning about "superficial-tests", and says "The
source package declares tests in the debian/tests/control file but
provides only tests with a superficial restriction.".

It looks to me like a lintian bug, but let me know if I've misunderstood
something.

Regards,
Faidon

1: Debatable in this particular package, but besides the main point.

In case you go looking at the package to reproduce, note that in the
final upload to experimental I added extra_restrictions=superficial to
debian/tests/autopkgtest-pkg-pybuild.conf, so the autodep8 test will now
also be marked as superficial. In this case the lintian warning is
appropriate.

The bug however stands (it's present when autopkgtest-pkg-pybuild.conf
is not present). It can be reproduced by:
  apt source esptool=4.5.1+dfsg-0.1
  cd esptool*
  rm debian/tests/autopkgtest-pkg-pybuild.conf
  autodep8  # should list a d/t/control with a non-superficial test
  dpkg-buildpackage -S
  lintian ../esptool*dsc

Faidon

Hello,

Bug #1033103 in lintian reported by you has been fixed in the
Git repository and is awaiting an upload. You can see the commit
message below and you can check the diff of the fix at:

https://salsa.debian.org/lintian/lintian/-/commit/e76f391ce46bb97521b01d47e20891d98c978290

(this message was generated automatically)
-- 
Greetings

https://bugs.debian.org/1033103

We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
lintian, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive.

A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.

Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed.  If you
have further comments please address them to 1033103@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.

Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Nilesh Patra <nilesh@debian.org> (supplier of updated lintian package)

(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org)
Format: 1.8
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 19:03:06 +0530
Source: lintian
Architecture: source
Version: 2.137.0
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: medium
Maintainer: Debian Lintian Maintainers <lintian-maint@debian.org>
Changed-By: Nilesh Patra <nilesh@debian.org>
Closes: 140006 1033103
Changes:
 lintian (2.137.0) unstable; urgency=medium
 .
   [ Nilesh Patra ]
   * Summary of tag changes:
     + Added:
       - build-depends-on-dh-sysuser
     + Removed:
       - standards-version-inconsistent
   * Drop tag: standards-version-inconsistent
   * Do not emit `incomplete-creative-commons-license` when the text
     refers to `/usr/share/common-licenses` as CC licenses have been
     added to base-files (See #1139561 and #1136090)
   * Do not flag autopkgtests which have d/t/control along with
     `Testsuite` in d/control as superficial (Closes: #1033103)
   * Bump recommended debhelper compat-level to 14 and change
     experimental level to 15 (Closes: #140006)
     + Fixup testsuite with default debhelper 14 and hard-code to
       lower compat where needed
   * Emit "python3-depends-but-no-python3-helper" regardless of
     debputy or compat 14 as this might mean a missing helper
   * Do not emit "no-versioned-debhelper-prerequisite" when
     `X-DH-Compat` is declared
     + tests (package-uses-x-dh-compat): Adjust to drop FP hint for
       no-versioned-dh
   * Do not emit "package-uses-dh-runit-but-lacks-breaks-substvar"
     when debputy sequencer is used or dh compat is 14 or greater
     + Add test debhelper-dh-runit-but-lacks-breaks-substvar-unrel: to
       validate dh-runit-breaks-substvar against dh 14
   * d/control: Bump debhelper compatibility level to 14
 .
   [ Steev Klimaszewski ]
   * Add profile for ParrotOS
 .
   [ Luca Boccassi ]
   * Add new tag: build-depends-on-dh-sysuser error
 .
   [ Agathe Porte ]
   * tags: udev-rule-in-etc: account for usrmerge
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