Bug#716880: apache2 upgrade failed

[Helmut Grohne <helmut@subdivi.de>]

On Sun, Jul 14, 2013 at 12:14:04PM +0200, Arno Töll wrote:
> Pretending we provided apache2.2-common, modules depending on the 2.2
> version of the server had their depdencies satisfied. Thus, they would
> be co-installable with Apache 2.4, they would migrate to Testing and so on.

My point was that if modules had their dependencies satisfied in such a
way, then dependencies are wrong even for a wheezy -> jessie upgrade,
because as you later point out it would break the whole server.

Following this reasoning the only way to reintroduce apache2.2-common
would be to add tons of Breaks. Since britney honours Breaks, it would
keep blocking the transition. This assumes that all Breaks are correct
and we all know how easy it is to get them wrong. So again I am not
claiming it to be feasible, but I am claiming that there is no other way
to solve the matter reported on a technical level.

In summary I claim the following two assertions:
 * The only way to prevent apache2 configuration from being purged
   during upgrade is to keep shipping a package named apache2.2-common
   and to have apache2 depend on it.
 * The only way to ship a package named apache2.2-common is to add a
   Breaks header listing every single reverse dependency with correct
   version information.

> We could possibly discuss your suggestion as soon as nothing in Debian
> depends on apache2.2-common anymore, but for now that just adds more havoc.

Sure, you are in charge of apache2, so it is your call to decide on how
to work things out. I am just presenting technical arguments. Weighting
those arguments is your job.

Helmut