[notacoward]

>if your software needs lots of modified dependencies, you're not communicating with those projects properly.

This, a hundred times. The OP wants to bundle modified versions of other people's open-source software as part of their own without feeding the changes upstream properly, and that's just not the right way to do things. Distributions' rules discouraging bundled packages are there because even worse things happen if everyone does that. Sometimes the dependent package has to put off packaging a new release for a particular distro until their dependencies are satisfied, but then it's time to put on big-girl panties and move on. Managing dependencies and reducing version sensitivity are part of a developer's job.

[zaphar]

A change that is only useful to you has little likelihood of being accepted upstream. Changes that are only useful to you are far more frequent than you seem to think.

[notacoward]

Don't assume you know what I think. I've had to grapple with this issue myself many times. I've had to implement nasty workarounds because upstream rejected a trivial patch. It's a pain, but spewing about how packagers all have OCD and live in the past is hopelessly egocentric and whiny . . . and counterproductive. They do know what they're doing, and their policies generally do make sense if you consider what works across thousands of packages instead of just one. Exceptions and accommodations can be made when the benefit outweighs the cost or risk, but a case has to be made for that. Throwing a tantrum isn't making a case.