[Bug 1721626] [NEW] Remove obsolete versioned dependency on initramfs-tools Edit

[Steve Langasek]

Public bug reported:

[SRU Justification]
Up until artful, console-setup declares a versioned dependency on initramfs-tools. This was an Ubuntu-specific dependency only needed for upgrades, and the version referenced is ancient (ca. 2008). In artful and later, the dependency has now been removed.

Since this is no longer relevant for upgrades and we would not otherwise
have a dependency on initramfs-tools, we should drop this dependency to
support building of images with initramfs-tools removed for systems that
we know don't require an initramfs.

[Test case]
1. On a xenial default cloud image install, try to run 'sudo apt purge initramfs-tools'.
2. Verify that this tries to remove console-setup, console-setup-linux, and kbd.
3. Cancel the removal.
4. Install console-setup from xenial-proposed.
5. Run 'sudo apt purge initramfs-tools' again.
6. Verify that console-setup, console-setup-linux, and kbd are not removed.
7. Run 'sudo apt install --reinstall console-setup' and confirm that the package can be installed successfully without initramfs-tools installed.

[Regression Potential]
If a user needs an initramfs in order to mount their root device, and console-setup is the only package on their system which depends on initramfs-tools, it is possible that the user may remove initramfs-tools and render their system unbootable.

This is unlikely because initramfs-tools is still part of the 'minimal'
seed and is therefore a dependency of ubuntu-minimal; and it remains a
dependency of the generic kernel image.

** Affects: console-setup (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: Fix Released

** Affects: console-setup (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Steve Langasek (vorlon)
         Status: In Progress

** Changed in: console-setup (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Fix Released

** Also affects: console-setup (Ubuntu Xenial)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: console-setup (Ubuntu Xenial)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: console-setup (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Steve Langasek (vorlon)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1721626

Title:
  Remove obsolete versioned dependency on initramfs-tools Edit

Status in console-setup package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in console-setup source package in Xenial:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  [SRU Justification]
  Up until artful, console-setup declares a versioned dependency on initramfs-tools. This was an Ubuntu-specific dependency only needed for upgrades, and the version referenced is ancient (ca. 2008). In artful and later, the dependency has now been removed.

  Since this is no longer relevant for upgrades and we would not
  otherwise have a dependency on initramfs-tools, we should drop this
  dependency to support building of images with initramfs-tools removed
  for systems that we know don't require an initramfs.

  [Test case]
  1. On a xenial default cloud image install, try to run 'sudo apt purge initramfs-tools'.
  2. Verify that this tries to remove console-setup, console-setup-linux, and kbd.
  3. Cancel the removal.
  4. Install console-setup from xenial-proposed.
  5. Run 'sudo apt purge initramfs-tools' again.
  6. Verify that console-setup, console-setup-linux, and kbd are not removed.
  7. Run 'sudo apt install --reinstall console-setup' and confirm that the package can be installed successfully without initramfs-tools installed.

  [Regression Potential]
  If a user needs an initramfs in order to mount their root device, and console-setup is the only package on their system which depends on initramfs-tools, it is possible that the user may remove initramfs-tools and render their system unbootable.

  This is unlikely because initramfs-tools is still part of the
  'minimal' seed and is therefore a dependency of ubuntu-minimal; and it
  remains a dependency of the generic kernel image.

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