If interaction is required (for an explanation to drop the Ubuntu changes), edit the report in the sensible-editor. Allow editing in general. Minor cleanup/consistency fixups.

debian/changelog

@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.26) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
+  [ Stephan Hermann ]
   * pbuild-dist: fixed a bug with the *sudo call.
     changed from $SUDOREPLACE "pbuilder" to $SUDOREPLACE -- pbuilder ...
 
- -- Stephan Hermann <sh@sourcecode.de>  Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:21:42 +0100
+  [ Daniel Hahler ]
+  * requestsync:
+    * If interaction is required (for an explanation to drop the Ubuntu
+      changes), edit the report in the sensible-editor.
+      When interaction is not required, ask the user if she wants to edit.
+      (LP: #190351)
+    * Exit, if versions in Ubuntu and Debian are the same already.
+
+ -- Daniel Hahler <ubuntu@thequod.de>  Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:23:44 +0100
 
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.25) hardy; urgency=low
 

requestsync

@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ def debian_component(sourcepkg):
         component = raw_comp[1].strip()
     return component
 
+def wait_for_enter_or_exit():
+    """Helper function to wait for ENTER and catch Control-C for abortion."""
+    try:
+        raw_input()
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        print 'Abort requested. No sync request filed.'
+	sys.exit(1)
+
 def usage():
     print '''Usage: requestsync [-h|-n|-s|-k <keyid>|--lp] <source package> <target release> [basever]
 
@@ -138,12 +146,8 @@ def mail_bug(source_package, subscribe, status, bugtitle, bugtext, keyid = None)
 
     print mail
 
-    print 'Press enter to file this bug, Control-C to abort.'
+    print 'Press ENTER to file this bug, Control-C to abort.'
-    try:
+    wait_for_enter_or_exit()
-        raw_input()
-    except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        print 'Abort requested. No sync request filed.'
-	sys.exit(1)
 
     # get server address
     mailserver = os.getenv('DEBSMTP')
@@ -211,12 +215,8 @@ def post_bug(source_package, subscibe, status, bugtitle, bugtext):
 
     print 'Summary:\n%s\n\nDescription:\n%s' % (bugtitle, bugtext)
 
-    print 'Press enter to file this bug, Control-C to abort.'
+    print 'Press ENTER to file this bug, Control-C to abort.'
-    try:
+    wait_for_enter_or_exit()
-        raw_input()
-    except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        print 'Abort requested. No sync request filed.'
-	sys.exit(1)
 
     # Create bug
     Bug = launchpadbugs.connector.ConnectBug()
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     sponsorship = False
     keyid = None
     use_lp_bugs = False
+    need_interaction = False
+    edit_report = False
 
     try:
         opts, args = getopt.gnu_getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'hnsk:', ('lp'))
@@ -281,24 +283,21 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         else:
             subscribe = 'ubuntu-universe-sponsors'
 
-    report = '''Please sync %s %s (%s) from Debian unstable (%s).
+    report = 'Please sync %s %s (%s) from Debian unstable (%s).\n\n' % (srcpkg, deb_version, component, debiancomponent)
-''' % (srcpkg, deb_version, component, debiancomponent)
     title = report[:-2]
     
     base_ver = cur_ver
     uidx = base_ver.find('ubuntu')
     if uidx > 0:
         base_ver = base_ver[:uidx]
+        need_interaction = True
 
-        print 'Explanation of the Ubuntu delta and why it can be dropped:'
+        print 'There have been changes made in Ubuntu.'
-        explanation = '\nExplanation of the Ubuntu delta and why it can be dropped:\n'
+        print 'Please edit the report and give an explanation.'
-        while (explanation[-2:] != '\n\n'):
+        print 'Press ENTER to start your editor. Press Control-C to abort now. Not saving the report file will abort the request, too.'
-            try:
+        wait_for_enter_or_exit()
-                explanation += raw_input() + '\n'
+        report += '\nExplanation of the Ubuntu delta and why it can be dropped:\n\n' + \
-            except KeyboardInterrupt:
+                  'ENTER_EXPLANATION_HERE\n\n'
-                print 'Abort requested. No sync request filed.'
-                sys.exit(1)
-	report += explanation
 
     uidx = base_ver.find('build')
     if uidx > 0:
@@ -310,6 +309,39 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     report += 'Changelog since current %s version %s:\n\n' % (release, cur_ver)
     report += debian_changelog(srcpkg, debiancomponent, base_ver) + '\n'
 
+    # Do we want to edit the report?
+    if need_interaction:
+        edit_report = True
+    else:
+        val = raw_input('Do you want to edit the report [y/N]? ')
+        if val.lower() in ('y', 'yes'):
+            edit_report = True
+
+    if edit_report:
+        # Create tempfile and remember mtime
+        import tempfile
+        report_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile( prefix='requestsync_' )
+        report_file.file.write(report)
+        report_file.file.flush()
+        mtime_before = os.stat( report_file.name ).st_mtime
+
+        # Launch editor
+        try:
+            editor = subprocess.check_call( ['sensible-editor', report_file.name] )
+        except CalledProcessError, e:
+            print >>sys.stderr, 'sensible-editor returned with %s: %s\nAborting.' % (editor.returncode, e)
+            sys.exit(1)
+
+        # Check if the tempfile has been changed
+        report_file_info = os.stat( report_file.name )
+        if mtime_before == os.stat( report_file.name ).st_mtime:
+            print >>sys.stderr, 'The temporary file %s has not been changed. Aborting. [Press ENTER]' % (report_file.name,)
+            raw_input()
+            sys.exit(1)
+        report_file.file.seek(0)
+        report = report_file.file.read()
+        report_file.file.close()
+
     # mail or post the sync request
     srcpkg = not newsource and srcpkg or None
     if use_lp_bugs: