                APT-CROSS README
                ================

If you are using apt-cross from SVN, ensure you have the apt-cross
dependencies installed. See debian/control in SVN:
http://buildd.emdebian.org/repos/tools/apt-cross/debian/control

NOTES
-----

apt-cross is able to track dependencies but it is limited to
packages suitable for dpkg-cross. It is not possible to use:
apt-cross -i gnome
for example. apt-cross is only for cross-compiling support,
it is not intended to implement a complete cross environment.

NORTHERNCROSS
-------------

Original Git source: http://git.slind.org/gitrepos/northern-cross.git/

NorthernCross is Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 Alexander Shishkin
	<alexander.shishkin@siemens.com>

The main changes to the nc code were:
1. Prevent errors and warnings from 'use strict;'
2. Drop NorthernCross::Pool
3. Convert NorthernCross/Cache.pl into NorthernCross::Cache
4. Convert nc to not require sudo, except when installing
5. Expose the underlying lookup functions to provide access to the
	raw nc data instead of pre-formatted text output.
6. Increased flexibility in output control to allow completely silent
	operation as well as very, very verbose.

APT-RDEPENDS
------------

NorthernCross dependency parsing was replaced with dependency code from
apt-rdepends (Copyright (C) 2002-2005  Simon Law <sfllaw@debian.org>)
which has also been modified slightly to work within apt-cross.

FUTURE
------

Important: apt-cross has a *very* limited future. It is a tool for a
particular stage in the process of making Debian cross-building
friendly and as such it serves as a means to an end.

As more dpkg-cross code migrates into dpkg-dev, apt-cross will become
less important. Simultaneously, making apt cross-build friendly will
become easier. The ultimate aim is therefore to aim for apt to replace
apt-cross in a coordinated migration with dpkg-cross and dpkg.

Eventually, when the core dpkg-cross functionality is merged into dpkg,
apt-cross will be removed from Debian and the relevant versions of dpkg
and apt will Replace: and Conflict: with dpkg-cross and apt-cross
respectively.

Anyone looking at the apt-cross source code needs to be aware that
any improvements will only have a limited lifespan.
