Source: usrmerge Source-Version: 38 Severity: wishlist Summary:
Please extend the Debian.README in usrmerge to explain: - In what releases of the most popular Debian derivatives will the usrmerge apply? - Did any of the popular ones fork usrmerge? Does that have any implications of Debian package maintenance? - How should CI systems that test upgrade paths of various Debian-based software adapt to this change? Description: The doc https://salsa.debian.org/md/usrmerge/-/blob/master/debian/README.Debian does a good job at explaining the basics of how usrmerge works, and people can read additional justifications why doing this makes sense over at https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/TheCaseForTheUsrMerge/ I have nothing against usrmerge, but I wish there was more easily discoverable documentation for Debian Developers and system administrators on how to adjust whatever upgrade related systems automation they have. Could you please extend the Debian.README in usrmerge considering that the change is rather big and affects all Debian based systems everywhere? I know the Debian policy states that upgrades across two Debian releases are not officially supported, and I know it is not the responsibility for Debian package maintainers to account for what happens in Debian derivatives. However it would be a nice service to users at large to explain what will follow from usrmerge and how people best adapt to it. For example a list of what versions of the most popular Debian derivatives will inherit this change would be useful. Currently distrowatch.com lists in top-10 the Debian derivatives MX Linux, Mint, Ubuntu, Pop! OS and Zorin. This would be good general information for people to grasp how this change will affect the Debian ecosystem at large. The README could also explain if any of these derivatives is known to have forked the usrmerge package and what follows to Debian Developers and Debian sysadmins from that. For people who already had issues while testing upgrades in CI systems etc (or for Debian buildd itself) there was in usrmerge versions v27-37 a workaround to use the flag file /etc/unsupported-skip-usrmerge-conversion: https://salsa.debian.org/md/usrmerge/-/commit/380f396db19978d8bc6d7d94175a10cce5359491 This was removed in v38 along with the documentation that it existed: https://salsa.debian.org/md/usrmerge/-/commit/458861662a0bcf4c5cf54aa6afe508ccf5b7fdbc Thus a third thing the README could advise on is how Debian Developers and Debian sysadmins are advised to build CI systems and test upgrade paths for the next 10 years as what worked in the past 10 years does not apply as-is anymore. Thanks!
