Bug#78782: general: confusion among system log daemons

["KORN Andras" <korn@chardonnay.math.bme.hu>]

Package: general
Version: 20001204
Severity: important

Hi,

Please observe the following:

Package: logcheck
Version: 1.1.1-6
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1.2), debconf, mail-transport-agent, cron, sysklogd, mailx
Suggests: syslog-ng

Package: msyslog
Version: 1:1.01-4
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1.97), perl5, logrotate
Suggests: msyslog-om-mysql, msyslog-om-pgsql
Conflicts: syslogd, system-log-daemon, linux-kernel-log-daemon
Provides: syslogd, sysklogd, system-log-daemon, linux-kernel-log-daemon
Replaces: sysklogd

Package: sysklogd
Version: 1.3-33.1
Conflicts: syslogd
Provides: syslogd
Replaces: syslogd

Package: syslog-ng
Version: 1.4.9a-1
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1.97), logrotate
Recommends: kernel-log-daemon
Conflicts: system-log-daemon, sysklogd
Provides: system-log-daemon

Package: anacron
Version: 2.3-3
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1.94), debianutils (>= 1.7), sysklogd | system-log-daemon, exim | mail-transport-agent

Package: sympa
Version: 2.6.1-3
Depends: sendmail (>=8.7) | postfix | postfix-tls | qmail | exim, perl5, mailtools (>=1.13), libdigest-md5-perl, libmsgcat-perl, libmime-perl, libmime-base64-perl, libio-stringy-perl, sysklogd (>=1.3-27), libc6 (>= 2.1.2)

Package: g2s
Version: 0.4.0-2
Recommends: sysklogd | syslog-ng, debconf

Package: xwatch
Version: 2.11-4
Suggests: sysklogd

Package: smtpfeed
Version: 1.07.1-1
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1.2), sysklogd

Apparently, the following (virtual and actual) packages related to system
logging exist:

- sysklogd (actual). There is no need for logcheck to depend on it. In fact,
logcheck's dependency on sysklogd and suggestion of syslog-ng contradict
each other (since syslog-ng conflicts with sysklogd). Once debian has made
up their mind about what to call the virtual syslogd package
(system-log-daemon or syslogd), it would be enough for the packages
logcheck, anacron, sympa, g2s, xwatch and smtpfeed to depend on that virtual
package (instead of depending on one of many actual packages that provide it
- or, as things are now, either of the two names of the same virtual
package). anacron's dependency on 'sysklogd | system-log-daemon' is probably
one example of the kludges this confusion has created.

I think system-log-daemon is a better choice for the name of the virtual
syslog package than 'syslogd'; the sysklogd package should probably provide
either system-log-daemon, or, as long as this confusion prevails, both
system-log-daemon and syslogd.

- syslog-ng (actual). This package should probably provide the same virtual
package(s) as sysklogd. I'm not sure if my understanding of the Replaces:
header is correct, but I believe syslog-ng might Replace: system-log-daemon.

- msyslog (actual). This package should probably provide the same virtual
package(s) as sysklogd. I'm not sure if my understanding of the Replaces:
header is correct, but I believe msyslog might Replace: system-log-daemon.

linux-kernel-log-daemon appears to be a virtual package invented by
msyslog's maintainer - is this right? No other package mentions it. Perhaps
they should (?).

- syslogd (virtual). Make up your minds; should this be the virtual syslog
package or the one below?

- system-log-daemon (virtual). Make up your minds; should this be the
virtual syslog package or the one above?

- linux-kernel-log-daemon (virtual). Is there supposed to be such a virtual
package? If so, what are its relationships with sysklogd and syslog-ng?

- kernel-log-daemon (virtual). syslog-ng Recommends: it, but nothing seems
to Provide: it. Should sysklogd provide it? If so, then syslog-ng probably
shouldn't conflict with sysklogd (it didn't until recently), or provide
kernel-log-daemon itself. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make sense of
syslog-ng's changelog entries; Attila, perhaps you would like me to help you
translate them into English? :)

I hope you can proceed to do something about this confusing state of
affairs. I Cc: this report to the maintainers of all packages mentioned
above. Please forgive me if some of you receive multiple copies of this
message.

Regards,

Andrew

-- 
            Andrew Korn (Korn Andras) <korn@chardonnay.math.bme.hu>
             Finger korn@chardonnay.math.bme.hu for pgp key. QOTD:
      I'd love to go out with you, but I'm having all my plants neutered.

-- System Information
Debian Release: woody
Kernel Version: Linux utopia 2.4.0-test11 #15 Mon Dec 4 15:10:19 CET 2000 i686 unknown