puppetdb fails to build from source on noble

[Pushkar Kulkarni]

[ Impact ]
* Package puppetdb fails to build from source on noble. The `default-jdk/jre` packages from java-common have been migrated to openjdk-21. And the puppetdb level on noble (7.12.1-3) fails to build with openjdk-21. See ppa build [1].

* The current binaries of puppetdb were built prior to the default-jdk migration to openjdk-21. Running them with openjdk-21 (which puppetdb does not support) can have unforeseen consequences to users.

* Users of puppetdb migrating to noble from jammy might see regressions.

[ Test Plan ]
* Building puppetdb 7.12.1-3 on noble as in [1] causes FTBFS.

[ Where problems could occur ]

* This SRU proposes upgrading puppetdb to 8.4.1-1 (which is currently uploaded to oracular). This version is compatible with openjdk-21.

* However, puppetdb 8.4.1-1 also needs libclj-http-clojure (>= 3.12.3) which is not satisfiable on noble [2]. I plan to create a parallel SRU request, which should precede the current one, for package clj-http-clojure too.

[ Other Info ]
* I haven't attempted running the 7.12.1-3 binaries with the default-jdk/openjdk-21 because FTBFS in itself is an indicator of incompatibility and needs to be addressed.
* I also created an SRU bug for clj-http-clojure [3].
* A successful PPA build of puppetdb 8.4.1-1 on Noble, with libclj-http-clojure updated to 3.12.3-1 is seen here [4].

[1] https://launchpad.net/~pushkarnk/+archive/ubuntu/puppetdb-sru1/+build/28577254
[2] https://launchpad.net/~pushkarnk/+archive/ubuntu/puppetdb-sru2/+build/28577255
[3] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/clj-http-clojure/+bug/2069390
[4] https://launchpad.net/~pushkarnk/+archive/ubuntu/puppetdb-sru3/+build/28577425

[Nick Rosbrook (enr0n)]

Have you tried to determine if there is a minimal set of patches that could be cherry-picked for an SRU, rather than backporting a new upstream version? Usually, backporting a new upstream version as an SRU requires a micro release exception, but I do not see any for this package on [1].

Otherwise, following the backports process [2] for this package *might* be more appropriate (i.e. land the new version in -backports rather than -updates).

Note that I am not on the SRU team or anything, but I came to look at this as a sponsor, so those are my thoughts.

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Documentation_for_Special_Cases
[2] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuBackports

[Pushkar Kulkarni (pushkarnk)]

Thanks, Nick.

I tried to only backport the patch that fixes FTBFS with openjdk-21. I see a build-time test fail [1]. There is another patch in 8.4.1-1 that skips a test, but I don’t find that relevant to this test failure.

[1] https://launchpad.net/~pushkarnk/+archive/ubuntu/puppetdb-noble/+build/28592673/+files/buildlog_ubuntu-noble-amd64.puppetdb_7.12.1-3ubuntu1ppa1_BUILDING.txt.gz