dear all, I just uploaded 'debdelta' version 0.45, that has a better implementation of error logs , and a provision for (automatically) sending them to the main server (where I will be able to look at them) .
Brief explanation. A 'forensic file' is a file listing the content of a Debian package , with sha1 hashes for regular files; currently http://debdelta.debian.net/run/forensic/ contains the forensics for all debs that the debdelta server processes. When 'debdelta-upgrade' is invoked, a delta fails , and the '--forensic' option is on, then 'debdelta-upgrade' will store the output of the internal script, and also a forensic file representing the state of the installed package in your host , and (possibly) send it to me those logs. By looking at the log, and comparing the forensic file coming from you host with the forensic of the original deb, it should be possible to understand why the delta failed. If you usually use 'debdelta-upgrade', may you please install the new version 0.45 and use the new option --forensic? Example usages: ---1 # debdelta-upgrade --forensic=http if a delta fails, then the above will send the logs using http POST - fast and clean, no questions asked ; but it is totally anonymous, I cannot reach you back in any way. ---2 # debdelta-upgrade --forensic=mutt this instead invokes 'mutt' to send the logs by email: so you can see what you are sending me, and I can also answer you if I have further questions. Note it only works if the host is configured to send email (default Debian installs on laptops are not). ---3 # debdelta-upgrade --forensic=icedove as above but launching 'icedove' (as root!) ---4 If you instead do not wish to send anything to the server, but want to understand what may have gone wrong, then # debdelta-upgrade --forensic=do will generate the logs and simply list them; you can then check the logs yourself, and compare the 'forensic file' against the similar file that is found in http://debdelta.debian.net/run/forensic/ (e.g. by using 'diff -u' ) to see if any file is altered in your install a. ---- ps: If a delta fails, then debdelta-upgrade will download the corresponding .deb (see the option '--deb-policy' in the man page for more details). So if you issue 'debdelta-upgrade --forensic=???' after the failure , nothing will happen. There are three ways out of this: 1) always use the '--forensic=???' option 2) always use the option '--deb-policy s,b' so that debdelta-upgrade will not download the deb in case of failure; if any fails, use 'debdelta-upgrade --forensic=???' 3) as a last resort, if you did not do the above, and you wish to send a bugreport, please manually delete the downloaded deb, e.g. # rm /var/cache/apt/archives/that-deb-that-failed_0.0-0_amd64.deb and run 'debdelta-upgrade --forensic=???' : it will retry and , upon failure, generate the log files that you may send me.
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