Better define build architecture and host architecture

* Be more verbose in defining the build architecture and the host
  architecture and consistently refer to architecture rather than
  machine.  (Closes: #591857)

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 031152cc22d3830c8c8773b690cbae7f71a20a5c..743a18ec32dabc53cdc1afdf198bbd46897a6c68 100644 (file)
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ debian-policy (3.9.2.0) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     Seconded: Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org>
     Seconded: Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>
     Closes: #459868, #581011
+  * Be more verbose in defining the build architecture and the host
+    architecture and consistently refer to architecture rather than
+    machine.  (Closes: #591857)
   * Correct the name of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard in the package
     description.  Patch from Christoph Anton Mitterer.  (Closes: #590696)
 

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index d6c63f63d49d83931beae054af967851fdc657fd..06242900f3c728638a9708ebb3e2a016442ced1b 100644 (file)
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -2084,14 +2084,21 @@
 
        <p>
          The architectures we build on and build for are determined
-         by <prgn>make</prgn> variables using the utility
-         <qref id="pkg-dpkg-architecture"><prgn>dpkg-architecture</prgn></qref>.
-         You can determine the
-         Debian architecture and the GNU style architecture
-         specification string for the build machine (the machine type
-         we are building on) as well as for the host machine (the
-         machine type we are building for).  Here is a list of
-         supported <prgn>make</prgn> variables:
+         by <prgn>make</prgn> variables using the
+         utility <qref id="pkg-dpkg-architecture"><prgn>dpkg-architecture</prgn></qref>.
+         You can determine the Debian architecture and the GNU style
+         architecture specification string for the build architecture as
+         well as for the host architecture.  The build architecture is
+         the architecture on which <file>debian/rules</file> is run and
+         the package build is performed.  The host architecture is the
+         architecture on which the resulting package will be installed
+         and run.  These are normally the same, but may be different in
+         the case of cross-compilation (building packages for one
+         architecture on machines of a different architecture).
+       </p>
+
+       <p>
+         Here is a list of supported <prgn>make</prgn> variables:
          <list compact="compact">
            <item>
                <tt>DEB_*_ARCH</tt> (the Debian architecture)
@@ -2115,8 +2122,8 @@
                <tt>DEB_*_GNU_TYPE</tt>)
          </list>
          where <tt>*</tt> is either <tt>BUILD</tt> for specification of
-         the build machine or <tt>HOST</tt> for specification of the
-         host machine.
+         the build architecture or <tt>HOST</tt> for specification of the
+         host architecture.
        </p>
 
        <p>