Package: systemd-container
Version: 249.6-1
Severity: minor
Dear developers,
systemd-container lists "default-dbus-system-bus | dbus-system-bus" as a
dependency. This is usually correct since APT is smart enough to resolve
the dependency, but that's not the case with debootstrap.
Since systemd-container is usually needed in systemd-nspawn containers,
it should be installed at debootstrap time, but currently, running
debootstrap with "--include=systemd-container" fails because no D-Bus
implementation is pulled in as dependency. It used to work in versions
older than 249.6-1 (before the dependency was changed from the real
"dbus" package to "default-dbus-system-bus | dbus-system-bus" virtual
packages, so it may qualify as a regression). Using
"--include=systemd-container,dbus" (or dbus-broker) works.
Could the real dbus package (since it's currently the default D-Bus
implementation in Debian) be listed as an alternative dependency (and
ideally, in bookworm too) ?
Note 1: one could think that it's debootstrap's fault for not resolving
dependencies on virtual packages; indeed, it has already been reported
several times (#878961, merged with #827602 and #931760; as well as
Launchpad #86536) unfortunately never fixed yet; but, IMHO, since
systemd-container is usually needed in systemd-nspawn containers, and
(except for the host) is usually installed via debootstrap, it makes it
kind of a special case, in the sense that systemd (as a whole) should
take care that systemd-nspawn containers can be built and started easily.
Note 2: dbus-broker has the reputation of being better than dbus on
various points, and could be considered as a clever choice for
containers, but systemd-container currently lists
"default-dbus-system-bus" as first alternative, which is provided by "dbus".
Regards,
--
Raphaël Halimi
