Comment 11 for bug 28123

Nicolas François <email address hidden> writes:

> Hello,
>
> After reading the log of #315784 (dpkg: dependencies should ensure md5sum
> is present), I wonder why adding a
> Pre-Depends: coreutils (>= ...)
> field to dpkg would break (c)debootstrap.
>
> I made a tarball for debootstrap with a modified dpkg and I noticed no
> problem.
>
> Goswin, do you remember why you said it would break debootstrap?
> I'm keeping Adrian and the (c)debootstrap maintainer CCed.
>
>> <cmot> Ah. So dpkg just pre-depend on the new coreutils?
>> <cmot> I'll file a serious bug on dpkg, then (if there isn't one already;
>> haven't looked yet).
>> <mrvn> cmot: that would suck because it breaks (c)debootstrap
>
> Kind Regards,
> --
> Nekral

Debootstrap has a fixed list of packages to install (unless you give
the option to resolve depends) but I guess coreutils is in that list
already. Cdebootstrap resolves depends so it will pick up coreutils
even if it didn't have it in the past. But that is the easy part.

When installing packages get unpacked and configured in a certain
order to bootstrap the system. In cdebootstrap the config gives some
hints what to force first to get dpkg configured and then lets dpkg
handle the rest. That step will fail at first because dpkg won't
configure without coreutils being configured first.

It might be cdebootstrap pulls through that, it is quite resiliant,
but when run with debug this will cause a lot of dpkg messages that
make detecting any other problem much harder.

MfG
        Goswin

PS: Don't let that stop you from adding a proper Pre-Depends. Just
contact the (c)debootstrap authors about the change so they can fix it
the same day.
PPS: I guess the CCs did that now. :)