Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.debian.bugs.dist > #1271101

Bug#1121156: , RFC: provide better UX for recurring breaking changes

Show all headers | View raw

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] - view raw

Hi Antoine and team/collective,

Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@debian.org> writes:

> On 2025-11-18 19:14:35, Nicholas D. Steeves wrote:
>> Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@debian.org> writes:
>>
>> I'd appreciate if you would review my WIP (which I finally pushed).  In
>> particular, I'd appreciate your perspective on that potential UX
>> enhancement and am wondering if there's a better way to do it and to
>> support upstream's efforts to make config migration less painful.  The
>> obvious downside to upstream's current implementation is that it erases
>> comments in the config.
>
> Hmm... I'm not sure. First, I think this should be gated on a `[ -d
> /etc/borgmatic ]` otherwise it could crash the postinst on an
> unconfigured system:
>
>     for i in /etc/borgmatic/*.yaml; do
>
> Did you actually this in a clean install?

I had not gotten there yet, because this was a POC focused on existing
users.  Yes, you're of course right and I've fixed the WIP.

> I'm not sure we should be doing this for our users though... It seems a
> little daring! But why not...

The problem as I see it is upstream keeps breaking existing user configs
(see https://bugs.debian.org/1099802), and backups that aren't painless
and automatic have a tendency to not be updated...

That said, does rewriting, updating, and implicitly checking/validating
a config on upgrade violate the principle of least surprise more than
this:

a)
  1. Provide a rewritten & valid $n.dpkg-dist for each config file on
  each upgrade.
  2. In Debian.NEWS, when there are breaking changes, point the user to
  this file.
  -- hopefully errors with obsolete and invalid config when users ignore
  D.NEWS...and users are provided with a template generated by their
  site-specific config

vs

b) (My WIP POC)
  1. Back up each config file to $n.dpkg-old and rewrite /e/borgmatic/$n
  2. In Debian.NEWS, when there are breaking changes, remind the user.
  that dpkg-old exists in case the auto-migrated config missed
  something.
  -- hopefully doesn't miss source data due to dropped obsolete and
  invalid config when users ignore D.NEWS.

c)
  1. Back up each config file to $n.dpkg-old and rewrite
  /e/borgmatic/$n, and stop bothering use with Debian.NEWS (this assumes
  that upstream migration tool isn't buggy)
  2. Stop bothering the user and interrupting upgrades
  -- hopefully doesn't miss source data due to dropped obsolete and
  invalid config; assumes users tend to ignore D.NEWS.

d)
  1. Continue shipping D.NEWS, when needed, and do nothing more
  -- NEWS interrupts upgrade, but users will ignore NEWS,  users have
  broken config (hopefully errors...)

What do you think is the least bad option?  I initially chose "b"
because I was optimistic and chose to have faith in upstream and their
migration tool.

Regards,
Nicholas

Back to linux.debian.bugs.dist | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Bug#1106814: 9 NMUs + multiple upstream versions = Unmaintained pkg & salvaging candidate Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@debian.org> - 2025-11-14 20:10 +0100
  Bug#1106814: 9 NMUs + multiple upstream versions = Unmaintained pkg & salvaging candidate Nicholas D Steeves <sten@debian.org> - 2025-11-19 01:20 +0100
    Bug#1106814: 9 NMUs + multiple upstream versions = Unmaintained pkg & salvaging candidate Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@debian.org> - 2025-11-19 20:40 +0100
      Bug#1121156: , RFC: provide better UX for recurring breaking changes Nicholas D Steeves <sten@debian.org> - 2025-11-21 23:50 +0100
        Bug#1121156: , RFC: provide better UX for recurring breaking changes Simon Pilkington <simonp.git@mailbox.org> - 2025-11-28 08:20 +0100
          Bug#1121156: , RFC: provide better UX for recurring breaking changes Nicholas D Steeves <sten@debian.org> - 2025-11-29 03:30 +0100
            Bug#1121156: , RFC: provide better UX for recurring breaking changes Simon Pilkington <simonp.git@mailbox.org> - 2025-11-29 07:30 +0100

csiph-web