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Bug#555980: debian-policy: No policy on statically linked binaries



On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 10:46:48AM -0700, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Bill Allombert wrote:
> 
> > --- a/policy.sgml
> > +++ b/policy.sgml
> > @@ -8466,7 +8466,11 @@ fi
> >  	  renamed.  If a consensus cannot be reached, <em>both</em>
> >  	  programs must be renamed.
> >  	</p>
> > -
> > +	<p>
> > +          Binary executables must not be statically linked with the 
> > +          GNU C library, unless there is technical requirement for
> > +          doing so.
> > +	</p>

(Please read the original bug log for the full story)

> What does it mean for there to be a technical requirement?  For
> example, is there a technical requirement for bash-static to be
> statically linked?  (A rescue disk could always include the libc
> shared library instead of using a statically linked binary.)

I would say that a -static package is required to be static.
(though of course the FTP matsers can veto the addition of
such a package).

> xzdec contains binaries statically linked against liblzma but not
> against libc.  That means they wouldn't run afoul of this requirement.
> Is that within the spirit of this policy?

I think so.

> What is the purpose of this change?
> 
>  * avoiding nss pain when libc gets upgraded?
>  * license compliance, it being too hard to remember to use
>    Built-Using?
>  * security, missing out on fixes when libc gets upgraded?
>  * something else?

My purpose is for policy to be inline with the FTP masters practice.
For the FTP masters purpose it is a different story, though you are
raising valid points.

Cheers,
-- 
Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here. 


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