Comment by superkuh

>Making changes can be done with just normal git commands, eg git commit. Many Debian insiders working with patches-unapplied are still using quilt(1), a footgun-rich contraption for working with patch files!

Huh. I just learned to use quilt this year as part of learning debian packaging. I've started using it in some of my own forks so I could eventually, maybe, contribute back.

I guess the old quilt/etc recommendation in the debian build docs is part of the docs updates project needed that the linked page talks about.