Re: Bug#914897: debootstrap, buster: Please disabled merged /usr by default

[Wouter Verhelst <wouter@debian.org>]

On Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 01:49:45PM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Control: reassign -1 tech-ctte
> 
> Dear Technical Committee.  I don't know if you are all aware of the
> discussion surrounding this, so I will recap:
> 
> Recently debootstrap was changed to do merged-/usr by default, so that
> /bin -> /usr/bin etc.
> 
> It was discovered that when this change took effect on the Debian
> buildds, the buildds started to build packages which do not work on
> non-merged-/usr systems.
> 
> This is a special case of a general problem: buster systems with
> merged-/usr sometimes build packages which are broken on
> non-merged-/usr systems.
> 
> Some people have suggested that this should be fixed by making
> merged-/usr mandatory for buster.  However, there is no transition
> plan for this as yet and I don't think Debian is ready to commit to do
> that.
> 
> So I believe that this change should be immediately reverted in sid
> and buster, so that we do not prejudge the situation by increasing the
> number of buster installs in the field which generate packages which
> are broken on non-merged-/usr systemss.

One thing that has not been answered yet in this discussion (and if the
TC is to make a decision about it, I think it should be) is "why are we
doing this". That is, what is the problem that usrmerge is meant to
solve, and how does it attempt to solve it? As far as I know, the reason
usrmerge exists is so that no files will be installed in /bin anymore;
but that seems like an XY problem.

Also, I would like to ask why the traditional solution in Debian -- make
a policy change that says no package can ship anything in /bin except
for a compatibility symlink, and make that rule RC at some point in the
future -- is not being considered. That seems like a solution that would
cause far less pain than what we're going through right now.

-- 
To the thief who stole my anti-depressants: I hope you're happy

  -- seen somewhere on the Internet on a photo of a billboard