[Bug 1803162] Re: non-dpkg information and broken format in manifest

[Steve Langasek]

On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 08:07:58PM -0000, Scott Moser wrote:
> It is a bug to change content in backwards incompatible ways.  livecd-
> rootfs produced an artifact that is indexed with known-content.  A
> change broke consumers of that content.  Thats a regression.

The definition of a manifest has changed.  This is a consequence of our
image contents having changed; the .manifest file is a reflection of
reality.

That this no longer matches the expectations of consumers (software or
otherwise) of this file is not a bug in the manifest file.  It's an
incompatibility between the reality of what constitutes the content of an
Ubuntu image, and the thing that is parsing the file.

Maintaining format-compatibility with parsers that assume the contents of
the manifest will always be a list of debs + versions would do a
*disservice* to those consumers, by leaving them oblivious to the fact that
the definition has changed.

So no, I don't think livecd-rootfs should provide two manifests and I think
this bug is 'wontfix'.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to livecd-rootfs in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1803162

Title:
  non-dpkg information and broken format in manifest

Status in cloud-images:
  Invalid
Status in livecd-rootfs package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Ubuntu images have been accompanied by a 'manifest' file since at least 10.04.
  This manifest file was a list of the dpkg installed packages and their versions.
  The format was as output by dpkg-query --show.
  That format was
    package-name<tab>version

  The offending change was added at
  https://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-core-dev/livecd-rootfs/trunk/revision/1706

  The disco images now contain non-dpkg information in them.
  There are a few problems with this:
   a.) the format is now changed.  Some lines will now have 3 fields rather than 2.
   b.) content is not strictly a list of dpkg information.

  I understand the desire to have pre-seeded snap information in this file
  but believe that the correct way to add representation of that information
  is with new files rather extending in non-backwards compatible ways an
  existing file.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/cloud-images/+bug/1803162/+subscriptions