** Description changed: [Impact] + A fresh install of base-files, like done when using debootstrap, using the base-files from the -updates repository (in the case of ubuntu stable releases), will leave an empty /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved file. This file is an artifact of the mechanism used to handle a corner case in the previous SRU where it would signal the motd-news-config package to install /etc/default/motd-news with ENABLED=0. See testcases (h) and (i) in the previous base-files SRU at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/base-files/+bug/1888575 for details. In test case (i) it was acked that the empty .wasremoved file was lying around, but its impact was deemed low (see [other info] item (a)). - * An explanation of the effects of the bug on users and + Another case where /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved would be created + when it shouldn't be is when you have just base-files installed (and no + ubuntu-server or motd-news-config) and did a reinstall of base-files, or + an upgrade. It would again touch /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved. - * justification for backporting the fix to the stable release. + The consequence of having /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved when it's + unintended is that a follow-up install of ubuntu-server, or motd-news- + config for that matter, will install /etc/default/motd-news with + ENABLED=0 instead of ENABLED=1. - * In addition, it is helpful, but not required, to include an - explanation of how the upload fixes this bug. + This was the case of the groovy debootstrap which resulted in this bug + being filed. While debootstrap won't mix multiple repositories (like + release with updates), and thus this isn't strictly a problem in + released versions of ubuntu, the groovy case was the one that was doing + a fresh install of base-files with the buggy touch /etc/default/motd- + news.wasremoved, and a subsequent install of ubuntu-server left motd- + news disabled in groovy images produced by such a method (debootstrap). + + For stable releases, the impact is lessened because debootstrap will + grab the release pocket for its job, and base-files from that pocket, in + all ubuntu releases other than groovy, does not have the code that + creates /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved. + + This would affect a stable release anytime the postinst script from + base-files from the previous SRU is run and there are no /etc/default + /motd-news{,.dpkg*} files present. This could be a system which just + doesn't have ubuntu-server or motd-news-config installed, in which case + creating the .wasremoved file is wrong. Or a system which has those + packages installed, and the user erroneously, in an attempt to disable + motd-news, removed /etc/default/motd-news, in which case it's correct to + create /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved. + + If debootstrap is somehow coached into using the release and updates + pocket, then the stable release it's bootstrapping would suffer from + this bug in the same way that groovy did: base-files would be installed + without ubuntu-server or motd-news-config, and an empty /etc/default + /motd-news.wasremoved file would be creating, disabling motd-news in any + future installation of motd-news-config or ubuntu-server. + [Test Case] - * detailed instructions how to reproduce the bug + * detailed instructions how to reproduce the bug - * these should allow someone who is not familiar with the affected - package to reproduce the bug and verify that the updated package fixes - the problem. + * these should allow someone who is not familiar with the affected + package to reproduce the bug and verify that the updated package fixes + the problem. [Regression Potential] - * discussion of how regressions are most likely to manifest as a result + * discussion of how regressions are most likely to manifest as a result of this change. - * It is assumed that any SRU candidate patch is well-tested before - upload and has a low overall risk of regression, but it's important - to make the effort to think about what ''could'' happen in the - event of a regression. + * It is assumed that any SRU candidate patch is well-tested before + upload and has a low overall risk of regression, but it's important + to make the effort to think about what ''could'' happen in the + event of a regression. - * This both shows the SRU team that the risks have been considered, - and provides guidance to testers in regression-testing the SRU. + * This both shows the SRU team that the risks have been considered, + and provides guidance to testers in regression-testing the SRU. [Other Info] - - * Anything else you think is useful to include - * Anticipate questions from users, SRU, +1 maintenance, security teams and the Technical Board - * and address these questions in advance + * Anything else you think is useful to include + * Anticipate questions from users, SRU, +1 maintenance, security teams and the Technical Board + * and address these questions in advance [Original Description] When debootstrapping groovy, we see an empty /etc/default/motd- news.wasremoved file. - groovy: base-files 11ubuntu12 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 set 11 10:20 /etc/default/motd-news.wasremoved If motd-news-config is later installed, maybe via ubuntu-server, then the presence of this file will disable motd-news by default, which is unintended as it's meant to be enabled on a server.
-- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1895302 Title: groovy debootstrap leaves /e/d/motd-news.wasremoved around To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/base-files/+bug/1895302/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
