Bug#1031696: Use of symbolic links in non-free ISO images breaks file system transposition support

[James Addison <jay@jp-hosting.net>]

Package: debian-cd
Followup-For: Bug #1031696

Hi Pete - could you check my understanding of your paragraph:

> In short, if this issue is left unaddressed, bookworm will be 
> introducing a *regression* compared to bullseye, in that it will no 
> longer be possible to perform a Debian installation on a UEFI system 
> through file system transposition, and everyone will be forced to either 
> use DD or use a utility (like Rufus 3.22) that includes a *custom 
> workaround* for Debian, in order to duplicate the symbolically linked 
> firmware files.

Background: the Debian 11.6 installer did not include non-free firmware, so
the regression:

  * IS NOT that non-free firmware becomes unavailable when UEFI file
    transposition is used to create bootable drives -- because that firmware
    was not available previously

  * IS that bootable drives created using UEFI file transposition from
    affected systems no longer retain the complete intended Debian installation
    environment

Is that interpretation fair?  And are the resulting bootable drives created
using the UEFI file transposition method completely unusable, or are they
degraded-but-functional?  (this could help to inform the severity of this bug)