Bug#1084924: The system-log-daemon virtual package

[Ansgar 🙀 <ansgar@debian.org>]

Hi,

On Thu, 2024-11-07 at 15:46 +0000, Matthew Vernon wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On 07/11/2024 10:03, Helmut Grohne wrote:
> 
> > Indeed, we can lift Bastian's mail into a proper proposal. Logging
> > services are generally assumed to be available. It becomes the
> > responsibility of the init system or container runtime. The
> > system-log-daemon virtual package mainly serves as an exclusion
> > mechanism. Alternative init systems such as sysvinit-core should
> > issue a
> > dependency or recommendation on it.
> 

Random packages not installing system facilities like system-wide log
services was already suggested as a solution earlier:

1. What should decide whether system-wide logging facilities exist?
Some central defaults or random packages (say foobard) shipping a
daemon?

1a. If not random packages, should policy be updated to recommend
packages not doing that?

There was no explicit answer to either of these questions (not others)
so far. (FWIW I consider a popcon=1 custom VPN protocol server package
like the package this tech-ctte bug is about a "random package" in the
context of question #1)

> This seems like the wrong shape of solution to me; we've not
> previously 
> assumed this,and I don't think the case for such a policy change has
> yet been made.

Could I ask why the ctte considers this the wrong solution? As it was
suggested previously, I assume it was at least taken into consideration
in discussions.

Ansgar