[Bug 1415785] Re: Please remove all ltsp* blacklisting

[Chris J Arges]

Hello Alkis, or anyone else affected,

Accepted update-manager into precise-proposed. The package will build
now and be available at http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-
manager/1:0.156.14.18 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed
repository.

Please help us by testing this new package.  See
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to
enable and use -proposed.  Your feedback will aid us getting this update
out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug,
mentioning the version of the package you tested, and change the tag
from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not fix the
bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to
verification-failed.  In either case, details of your testing will help
us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification .  Thank you in
advance!

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu Precise)
       Status: In Progress => Fix Committed

** Tags added: verification-needed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1415785

Title:
  Please remove all ltsp* blacklisting

Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in update-manager source package in Precise:
  Fix Committed

Bug description:
  [Impact]
  Please remove all references to the ltsp-client, ltsp-client-core, ltspfs, and ltspfsd packages from the update-manager sources, as update-manager currently removes those packages on dist-upgrades, breaking LTSP installations.
  Update-manager has seen a lot of changes and that blacklisting no longer exist in 14.04+, so we only need this as an SRU for 12.04.

  Rationale:
  Historically, the ltsp-client package had a preinst check that aborted its installation in normal systems (by checking for an /etc/ltsp_chroot file).

  If someone managed to install it outside of an LTSP chroot, then dist-upgrades were broken there, and a workaround was introduced in update-manager 1:0.60 gutsy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:39:26 +0200.
  This is mentioned in the update-manager changelog and in LP #109638.

  But, since Ubuntu Precise, ltsp-client no longer has these
  restrictions (I'm an upstream LTSP developer) and it's even useful to
  have it installed in normal LTSP servers (see
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/ltsp-pnp for more info).

  Now the opposite problem arises: when there's need for `update-manager -dist-upgrade`, update-manager removes at least ltsp-client and ltspfsd, breaking LTSP installations.
  See the attached update-manager screenshot.

  Actual use case: a teacher is prompted for a normal update, where some
  packages need to be updated, and additionally some unrelated package
  is now obsolete and needs to be removed. In that case, update-manager
  starts a dist-upgrade (not to be confused with a release upgrade, it's
  normal maintenance, not e.g. upgrading from 12.04 to 14.04) and
  removes ltsp-client and ltspfsd. The LTSP server stops working and the
  teacher doesn't know why, he never even pressed the "expand" button in
  the update dialog to see that those packages were uninstalled.

  
  [Test Case]
  * Install LTSP client, for example with:
  sudo apt-get install ltsp-client
  * Just to make sure that your apt is in a consistent state, run:
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
  sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove
  ...we expect no output from these.
  * Now run:
  update-manager --dist-upgrade
  See that update-manager prompts for ltsp-client and ltspfsd removal, mentioning they're no longer needed, as shown in the attached screenshot.

  On the other hand, with the included patch, `update-manager --dist-
  upgrade` shouldn't mention that anything needs removal.

  
  [Regression Potential]
  Not much. In 14.04+ that blacklisting is already removed, ltsp isn't mentioned anywhere in the update-manager sources anymore.

  And of course we'll be testing the package from precise-proposed in
  many installations (specifically, hundreds of Greek schools) before
  confirming that it's OK to copy it to -updates.

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