[Bug 1917148] Autopkgtest regression report (procps/2:3.3.16-1ubuntu2.3)

[Ubuntu SRU Bot]

All autopkgtests for the newly accepted procps (2:3.3.16-1ubuntu2.3) for focal have finished running.
The following regressions have been reported in tests triggered by the package:

xpra/3.0.6+dfsg1-1build1 (amd64)
reprotest/0.7.14 (amd64, arm64)


Please visit the excuses page listed below and investigate the failures, proceeding afterwards as per the StableReleaseUpdates policy regarding autopkgtest regressions [1].

https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/proposed-
migration/focal/update_excuses.html#procps

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Autopkgtest_Regressions

Thank you!

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1917148

Title:
  ps version is UNKNOWN in procps 2:3.3.16-1ubuntu2

Status in procps package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in procps source package in Bionic:
  Fix Released
Status in procps source package in Focal:
  Fix Committed
Status in procps source package in Hirsute:
  Fix Released
Status in procps source package in Impish:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Impact]

   * Breakage of tools expecting the version number or the number to substantially match the Debian package version.
   * May confuse users expecting the version to substantially match the Debian package version.
   * Restores behavior to that provided in Groovy/Hirsute+ and Bionic and prior releases.
     - Focal is the only release affected.
   * Backported Debian fix to restore ".tarball-version" file to provide version information during build.
     - Also included the autopkgtests for versioning from the same Debian fix.

  [Test Plan]

   1) Create a Focal (or derived from Focal) system.
   2) Execute "ps --version" or any of the binaries provided by the package with their respective version flags.
   3) Instead of desired output of the version, the output is:
      the invoked binary name followed by "from procps-ng UNKNOWN"
      Example: "ps from procps-ng UNKNOWN"

  [Where problems could occur]

   * This fix could cause issues if applications have come to depend on the incorrect behavior. IE, an application that uses a version string of "UNKNOWN" as part of a heuristic for identifying a Focal system.
   * If the version of procps-ng is incremented, this patch would need to be updated or removed if it is no longer relevant. Otherwise, an incorrect version would be reported by the binaries.

  [Other Info]
   * This change is in Groovy+ and Debian packaging with the same version of procps-ng.
     - Introduced in procps (2:3.3.16-5) unstable in Debian.

  [Original Description]

  From Linux Lint 20.1, so Focal Fossa 20.04.1

  Package procps 2:3.3.16-1ubuntu2

  $ LANG=C ps --version
  ps from procps-ng UNKNOWN

  I don't know if it comes from Ubuntu or upstream.

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