[Bug 2009814] Re: Inetutils is failing almost all autopkgtests

[Benjamin Drung]

** Tags removed: foundations-todo

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to inetutils in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2009814

Title:
  Inetutils is failing almost all autopkgtests

Status in inetutils package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Problem]

  * All inetutils autopkgtests [1] fail (except for i386).

  * The reason for the failures is a conflict between inetutils-ping and 
    iputils-ping. The autopkgtests pass for i386, because iputils-ping does 
    not build for i386 (See [2]).

  [Proposed Changes]

  * Stop building the inetutils-ping binary package. This solution was 
    proposed/endorsed in the last #ubuntu-meeting (16.03.2023; [3]).

  * Commit: [4]

  * PPA: [5]

  [Rationale]

  * The package inetutils-telnet is required in Ubuntu main (See pending 
    MIR [6]), because Debian transitioned its default `telnet` client from 
    netkit-telnet to inetutils-telnet. This transition was postponed in 
    Ubuntu for kinetic by having ubuntu-standard Recommend `netkit-telnet` 
    instead of `telnet`.
    But now, netkit-telnet has been dropped altogether from Debian and
    process-removals is prompting us to also delete it from lunar [7].

  * The package inetutils-telnet is required in Ubuntu main no later than
    April 13th 2023 due to the Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster release date.

  * A working prototype using update-alternatives was created (See the 
    comments below). This solution was discussed during the ubuntu-meeting. 
    However, it was deemed unnecessary, because it increases runtime 
    complexity, so it was ultimately not pursued in favor of dropping 
    inetutils-ping.

  [Test Plan]

  1. Download the ubuntu lunar autopkgtest image with: 
     autopkgtest-buildvm-ubuntu-cloud -r lunar

  2. Checkout the proposed changes with:
     git clone -b ubuntu/devel https://git.launchpad.net/~dviererbe/ubuntu/+source/inetutils

  3. Run the autopkgtests with:
     autopkgtest ./inetutils -- qemu autopkgtest-lunar-amd64.img

  4. Check that the test pass. Expected output should contain:

  @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ summary
  test-commands        PASS
  test-root-commands   PASS

  [Other]

  * inetutils-telnet is already seeded in lunar.standard as a
  replacement for netkit-telnet [8]

  * This conflict demonstrates a problem for the MIR of inetutils-telnet. 
    Assuming that inetutils-telnet will get into main; inetutils-telnet 
    tests will fail every time a inetutils-* package fails, although they 
    are in universe and the failure is unrelated.

  [1] https://autopkgtest.ubuntu.com/packages/i/inetutils
  [2] https://packages.ubuntu.com/lunar/iputils-ping
  [3] https://ubottu.com/meetingology/logs/ubuntu-meeting/2023/ubuntu-meeting.2023-03-16-15.01.moin.txt
  [4] https://code.launchpad.net/~dviererbe/ubuntu/+source/inetutils/+git/inetutils/+ref/ubuntu/devel
  [5] https://launchpad.net/~dviererbe/+archive/ubuntu/lp-2009814-drop-ping/+packages
  [6] https://launchpad.net/bugs/2008789
  [7] https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/telnet
  [8] https://git.launchpad.net/~dviererbe/ubuntu/+source/inetutils/commit/?id=3c0a08ea20c21bc0b9d98075510f8a3d6c0ec9df

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/inetutils/+bug/2009814/+subscriptions