#570372 /usr/bin/pdebuild: pdebuild does not resolve some variable names

Package:
pbuilder
Source:
pbuilder
Submitter:
Ritesh Raj Sarraf
Date:
2026-07-31 20:37:03 UTC
Severity:
normal
#570372#5
Date:
2010-02-18 12:27:44 UTC
From:
To:
I just took a pdebuil/pbuilder example configuration from Ubuntu that caters to
most of the distributions. I am attaching the config also.


The config, when used with cowbuilder, resolves the variable names correctly but when
used with pdebuild fails. I am not very sure if it is a bug or not.
I have done all the check I could think of but can not find a reason why this error is
happening.

In pdebuild:

dpkg-buildpackage: source only, diff-only upload (original source NOT included)
 -> Copying COW directory
  forking: rm -rf "/tmp/cowbuilder/build/"/cow.20641
  forking: cp -al "/var/cache/pbuilder/$NAME-base.cow/" "/tmp/cowbuilder/build/"/cow.20641
cp: cannot stat `"/var/cache/pbuilder/$NAME-base.cow/"': No such file or directory
Failed cowcopy.


Where as in cowbuilder:

 -> Copying COW directory
  forking: rm -rf /tmp/cowbuilder/build//cow.16346
  forking: cp -al /var/cache/pbuilder/lenny-amd64-base.cow/ /tmp/cowbuilder/build//cow.16346
I: removed stale ilistfile /tmp/cowbuilder/build//cow.16346/.ilist
 -> Invoking pbuilder
  forking: pbuilder login --buildplace /tmp/cowbuilder/build//cow.16346 --no-targz --internal-chrootexec chroot /tmp/cowbuilder/build//cow.16346 cow-shell


All I can make out is that when dpkg-buildpackage calls it, it is not able to resolve $NAME where as when cowbuilder calls it, it is able to resolve $NAME properly. Thus I think that it might be a pbuilder/dpkg-buildpackage bug. maybe.


I am attaching the full logs and the pbuilderrc file

Regards,
Ritesh
#570372#10
Date:
2010-03-06 16:17:44 UTC
From:
To:
I don't think pbuilder really should support such complex .pbuilderrc. although it happens to work.


At Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:12:44 +0545,
Ritesh Raj Sarraf wrote:
#570372#15
Date:
2010-03-06 18:35:13 UTC
From:
To:
Yes, I felt the same. Just though of letting you know. I have reverted back to
using it in the simplest way. Maybe we can close this bug.

Regards,
Ritesh
#570372#20
Date:
2026-07-31 20:30:57 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

it *is* possible, see the attached file. There are some workarounds,
especially for when adding cowbuilder, and you have to have a wrapper
(also attached) that sets $DIST appropriately, but it works.

bye,
//mirabilos
#570372#23
Date:
2026-07-31 20:30:57 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

it *is* possible, see the attached file. There are some workarounds,
especially for when adding cowbuilder, and you have to have a wrapper
(also attached) that sets $DIST appropriately, but it works.

bye,
//mirabilos