[Git][reproducible-builds/specs/source-date-epoch-spec][flag] Document usage as a flag

[Bernhard M. Wiedemann (@bmwiedemann-guest)]

Bernhard M. Wiedemann pushed to branch flag at Reproducible Builds / specs / source-date-epoch-spec


Commits:
5045fc27 by Bernhard M. Wiedemann at 2026-09-24T09:59:02+02:00
Document usage as a flag

because that is what we already did in upstreamed patches
and sometimes caused discussion, because it was outside of the spec.

The first sentence communicates the general expectations of
those that set SDE
while the 2nd sentence defines what a build process should do as a result.

- - - - -


1 changed file:

- source-date-epoch-spec.xml


Changes:

=====================================
source-date-epoch-spec.xml
=====================================
@@ -176,6 +176,12 @@
 			If the value is malformed, the build process SHOULD
 			exit with a non-zero error code.
 		</para>
+		<para>
+			The presence of this variable usually indicates that deterministic
+			results are desired.
+			Therefore, other outputs besides timestamps SHOULD be deterministic.
+			(See Usage as a flag below.)
+		</para>
 	</sect2>
 </sect1>
 
@@ -215,6 +221,13 @@
 			option to GNU tar.
 		</para>
 	</sect2>
+	<sect2>
+		<title>Usage as a flag</title>
+			When <envar>SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH</envar> is set, build processes might
+			omit build machine hostname and username from their output,
+			or set them to a constant value.
+                        And compilers might default to deterministic build output.
+	</sect2>
 	<sect2>
 		<title>Other examples</title>
 		<para>



View it on GitLab: https://salsa.debian.org/reproducible-builds/specs/source-date-epoch-spec/-/commit/5045fc271bfea0dff064b53101a2c98633ac09ff

-- 
View it on GitLab: https://salsa.debian.org/reproducible-builds/specs/source-date-epoch-spec/-/commit/5045fc271bfea0dff064b53101a2c98633ac09ff
You're receiving this email because of your account on salsa.debian.org. Manage all notifications: https://salsa.debian.org/-/profile/notifications | Help: https://salsa.debian.org/help


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.reproducible-builds.org/pipermail/rb-commits/attachments/20260924/7f9b6726/attachment.htm>