Re: autopkgtest 'needs-recommends' with testing + unstable

[Niko Tyni <ntyni@debian.org>]

On Sun, Apr 22, 2018 at 03:46:50PM +0200, Paul Gevers wrote:
> On 22-04-18 14:53, Niko Tyni wrote:

> > So afaics part of the issue is that when the 'needs-recommends' test
> > restriction cannot be fulfilled, autopkgtest doesn't notice and report
> > an error, but rather carries on and runs the test regardless.
> 
> This (not bailing out) sounds like a bug in autopkgtest to me. I'll file
> one soon, based on your message. Although, if you want to file it
> yourself, please do so.

I agree it's a bug in autopkgtest. Happy to let you file the bug :)

Some details: in

  https://ci.debian.net/data/autopkgtest/testing/amd64/libs/libsearch-elasticsearch-perl/189195/log.gz

starting at 'test command3: preparing testbed' we see

  Investigating (0) libjson-xs-perl:amd64 < none -> 3.040-1 @un uN Ib >
  Broken libjson-xs-perl:amd64 Depends on libcommon-sense-perl:amd64 < none | 3.74-2+b4 @un uH >
    Considering libcommon-sense-perl:amd64 2 as a solution to libjson-xs-perl:amd64 1
    Holding Back libjson-xs-perl:amd64 rather than change libcommon-sense-perl:amd64
  Investigating (0) libtypes-serialiser-perl:amd64 < none -> 1.0-1 @un uN Ib >
  Broken libtypes-serialiser-perl:amd64 Depends on libcommon-sense-perl:amd64 < none | 3.74-2+b4 @un uH >
    Considering libcommon-sense-perl:amd64 2 as a solution to libtypes-serialiser-perl:amd64 1
    Holding Back libtypes-serialiser-perl:amd64 rather than change libcommon-sense-perl:amd64
  Done
   Done

The test dependencies are just '@, pkg-perl-autopkgtest' with
'Restrictions: needs-recommends', so it's supposed to install
libsearch-elasticsearch-perl and its dependencies and recommendations.
The package Recommends libjson-xs-perl, which is uninstallable without
pulling libcommon-sense-perl:amd64 3.74-2+b5 from unstable. This doesn't
happen, so we get a failure:

    #   Failed test '/usr/bin/perl -wc /usr/share/perl5/Search/Elasticsearch/Serializer/JSON/XS.pm exited successfully'
    #   at /usr/share/pkg-perl-autopkgtest/runtime-deps-and-recommends.d/syntax.t line 121.

[...]

    # Can't locate JSON/XS.pm in @INC (you may need to install the JSON::XS module) (@INC contains: /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl/5.26.2 /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.2 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl5/5.26 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl/5.26 /usr/share/perl/5.26 /usr/local/lib/site_perl /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl-base) at /usr/share/perl5/Search/Elasticsearch/Serializer/JSON/XS.pm line 4.
    # BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/share/perl5/Search/Elasticsearch/Serializer/JSON/XS.pm line 4.

Similarly in
https://ci.debian.net/data/autopkgtest/testing/amd64/libp/libppi-perl/184151/log.gz
libppi-perl Recommends: libclass-xsaccessor-perl which is only installable
from unstable but doesn't get pulled in, which leads to a failure. In
this case apt is totally silent about the uninstallability afaics.

> Again, thanks for taking the time to investigate and to write it down.

My pleasure!
-- 
Niko