FW: knockd package long-standing bug
>>Hello,
>>
>>Bug #868015 has been open since Jul 2017 and the fix consists in 3
>>lines added to the system unit file. I.e. knockd.service lacks the
>>[Install] section and thus the service can't be made to auto-start after a reboot.
>>Since the maintainer doesn't seem interested in fixing it (source:
>>sent him a mail 6 days ago, on top of the long-standing bug report),
>>is there something I can do as a user to get the fix into the repository?
>>
>>Best regards,
>>Riccardo
>Hi Riccardo, I'll take a chance at answering your question. I am just a user like you on debian-user list. This bug doesn't seem to be long standing, some bugs go several years before everybody can agree about the right way to go forward. But we won't quibble about something like time measurement, will we?
>Assuming you are serious, and want to help the project, then I would test the proposed patch and make sure it works in several configurations on several architectures. Report the results to the bug tracker. Sometimes there are different versions of a pkg that have subtle differences. A patch that works on one arch might totally screw some other users over, and nobody wants that.
>Also, sometimes people die, or have personal issues, the maintainer might have an issue with communication, but it doesn't always mean the person is AWOL. Is the pkg abandoned?
>If so, you might be able to help get a new maintainer, just posting on the list probably started the ball rolling down this hill.
>In the meantime, if the workaround solves the problem, since it is not release critical bug, I'd think it probably can't get into the repo until a new upstream ver is released, but I am wrong all the time...
>Thanks,
>bw
Hello bw,
thank you for your response!
Your input is much appreciated and you made some valid and interesting points.
To clarify, I really didn't mean to sound harsh or resentful towards the maintainer and/or the list. I apologize if that's what came through. I was just trying to unambiguously state how things are: there is this package-breaking defect that was reported a couple years ago, nothing is being done and the maintainer is unresponsive. I understand and respect that there may be very good reasons for all this - I just think the situation needs to be addressed. :)
Right now you only really notice the issue after a (possibly accidental) reboot, after which you will possibly have lost remote access to the machine due to knockd not opening the firewall. The good news is that the patch is for the systemd unit file, not the software itself, and the required options are pretty much standard. It really is a trivial fix, luckily! The bad news is that I'm not able to test the patch on different architectures: I'm neither capable nor set up to do that.
Thank you again for writing, I hope this gets fixed!
Best regards,
Riccardo
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