[Bug 1888575] [NEW] Split motd-news config into a new package

[Andreas Hasenack]

Public bug reported:

The motd-news script is largely useless for desktop users, as they
rarely login via a text console. It makes more sense for server users.

We can use package dependencies to have the motd-news script enabled on servers, but disabled on desktops, and still handle upgrades. This is the plan:
- move /etc/default/motd-news from base-files into a NEW package (motd-news-config)
- have ubuntu-server depend on motd-news-config (or recommends)
- have base-files break current ubuntu-server, so that if base-files if upgraded and ubuntu-server is installed, ubuntu-server will also be upgraded to the new version which has the depends (or recommends) on motd-news-config

Care must be taken to preserve a changed /etc/default/motd-news when the
upgrade installs the new motd-news-config package. For example, on a
server that has set ENABLED=0 in /etc/default/motd-news and upgrades to
the new base-files and ubuntu-server, and gets the new motd-config-news
package, ENABLED=0 must remain set.

** Affects: base-files (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: base-files (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: base-files (Ubuntu Bionic)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Bionic)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: base-files (Ubuntu Focal)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Focal)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: base-files (Ubuntu Groovy)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Groovy)
     Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
         Status: In Progress

** Also affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: base-files (Ubuntu Groovy)
   Importance: Undecided
     Assignee: Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)
       Status: In Progress

** Also affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Groovy)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: base-files (Ubuntu Xenial)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Xenial)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: base-files (Ubuntu Bionic)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Bionic)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: base-files (Ubuntu Focal)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Focal)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Bionic)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Focal)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Xenial)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Bionic)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Focal)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Groovy)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Xenial)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Bionic)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu Focal)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Xenial)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Bionic)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Focal)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu Groovy)
       Status: New => In Progress

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1888575

Title:
  Split motd-news config into a new package

Status in base-files package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in ubuntu-meta package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in base-files source package in Xenial:
  In Progress
Status in ubuntu-meta source package in Xenial:
  In Progress
Status in base-files source package in Bionic:
  In Progress
Status in ubuntu-meta source package in Bionic:
  In Progress
Status in base-files source package in Focal:
  In Progress
Status in ubuntu-meta source package in Focal:
  In Progress
Status in base-files source package in Groovy:
  In Progress
Status in ubuntu-meta source package in Groovy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  The motd-news script is largely useless for desktop users, as they
  rarely login via a text console. It makes more sense for server users.

  We can use package dependencies to have the motd-news script enabled on servers, but disabled on desktops, and still handle upgrades. This is the plan:
  - move /etc/default/motd-news from base-files into a NEW package (motd-news-config)
  - have ubuntu-server depend on motd-news-config (or recommends)
  - have base-files break current ubuntu-server, so that if base-files if upgraded and ubuntu-server is installed, ubuntu-server will also be upgraded to the new version which has the depends (or recommends) on motd-news-config

  Care must be taken to preserve a changed /etc/default/motd-news when
  the upgrade installs the new motd-news-config package. For example, on
  a server that has set ENABLED=0 in /etc/default/motd-news and upgrades
  to the new base-files and ubuntu-server, and gets the new motd-config-
  news package, ENABLED=0 must remain set.

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