diff -Nru gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/changelog gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/changelog
--- gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/changelog	2012-09-09 15:49:23.000000000 +0000
+++ gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/changelog	2012-09-30 22:03:06.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
-gle-graphics (4.2.4c-3build1) quantal; urgency=low
+gle-graphics (4.2.4c-5) unstable; urgency=low
 
-  * Rebuild for libtiff5.
+  * fix building on hurd-i386 with workaround from #578320
 
- -- Colin Watson <cjwatson@ubuntu.com>  Sun, 09 Sep 2012 16:49:23 +0100
+ -- Christian T. Steigies <cts@debian.org>  Sun, 30 Sep 2012 23:58:58 +0200
+
+gle-graphics (4.2.4c-4) unstable; urgency=low
+
+  * rewrite package description (closes: #685822)
+
+ -- Christian T. Steigies <cts@debian.org>  Wed, 26 Sep 2012 23:07:27 +0200
 
 gle-graphics (4.2.4c-3) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff -Nru gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/control gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/control
--- gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/control	2012-06-27 19:49:48.000000000 +0000
+++ gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/control	2012-09-30 22:03:06.000000000 +0000
@@ -26,23 +26,14 @@
 Architecture: any
 Depends: ${misc:Depends}, ${shlibs:Depends}
 Recommends: libgs9
-Description: Interactive Graphics Language Editor
- GLE  is  a  high  quality  graphics  package for scientists,
- combining  a  user  friendly  interface with a full range of
- facilities    for   producing  publication  quality  graphs,
- diagrams, posters and slides.
+Description: Graphics Layout Engine
+ GLE is a graphics scripting language designed for creating publication
+ quality figures such as charts, plots, graphs, and diagrams. It
+ supports various chart types (including function plot, histogram, bar
+ chart, scatter plot, contour plot, color map, and surface plot) through
+ a simple but flexible set of graphing commands; more complex output can
+ be created by relying on its scripting language, which is full featured
+ with subroutines, variables, and logic control.
  .
- GLE  provides LaTeX quality fonts together with a flexible
- graphics  module  which  allows  the  user  to  specify  any
- feature  of a graph (down to the line width of the subticks,
- for example)
- .
- Complex  pictures can be drawn with user defined subroutines
- and simple looping structures.
- .
- Current  device  drivers support DECWINDOWS, REGIS, TEK4010,
- all  PC  graphics  cards,  VT100s,  HP-Plotters,  PostScript
- Printers, EPSON Printers and LaserJet Printers.
- .
- GLE  runs  on  both  VAXes and PCs, giving an identical user
- interface on both platforms.
+ GLE relies on LaTeX for text output and supports mathematical formulae
+ in graphs and figures. Output formats include (E)PS, PDF, JPEG, and PNG.
diff -Nru gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/rules gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/rules
--- gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/rules	2012-06-30 16:41:12.000000000 +0000
+++ gle-graphics-4.2.4c/debian/rules	2012-09-30 22:03:06.000000000 +0000
@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@
 export DEB_BUILD_HARDENING=1
 
 # fix build problems on the sparc buildd
-ARCH=$(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_ARCH)
-ifeq ($(ARCH),sparc)
+ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),sparc)
 export DEB_BUILD_HARDENING=0
 #export MALLOC_CHECK_=0
 endif
 
+# fix build problems on the hurd
+ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),hurd-i386)
+CONFIGURE_LIBS = LIBS="-Wl,--no-as-needed -Wl,-lpthread -Wl,--as-needed"
+endif
+
 %:
 	dh $@ 
 
@@ -27,7 +31,10 @@
 
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	-autoreconf -vfi
-	./configure --build $(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) --docdir=/usr/share/doc/gle-graphics/ --with-rpath=no --with-scripts=no
+	./configure --build $(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) \
+		--docdir=/usr/share/doc/gle-graphics/ \
+		--with-rpath=no --with-scripts=no \
+		$(CONFIGURE_LIBS)
 
 override_dh_auto_install:
 	dh_auto_install