Re: Request for review of debootstrap change [was: Re: Second take at DEP17 - consensus call on /usr-merge matters]

[Helmut Grohne <helmut@subdivi.de>]

Hi Holger,

On Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0000, Holger Levsen wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 09:38:02AM +0100, Luca Boccassi wrote:
> > > This is implemented in
> > > https://salsa.debian.org/installer-team/debootstrap/-/merge_requests/96
>  
> what about cdebootstrap?

cdebootstrap (and mmdebstrap) never implemented a merging step[1] and to
this date rely on the usrmerge package doing it at postinst time. Once
base-files ships the aliasing symlinks, both will produce /usr-merged
trees without any modifications. The reason that we need a change to
debootstrap is that its current merging implementation breaks when
base-files ships aliasing symlinks.

So the main reason for doing this change to debootstrap is that it
enables us to continue supporting cdebootstrap and mmdebstrap without
any changes there.

Helmut

[1] For mmdebstrap there is a merged-usr hook that can do it. Johannes
    will migrate it to the same post-merging approach I am proposing for
    debootstrap here.