Changes/Separate dtrace package

Separate package for dtrace.py from systemtap-sdt-devel

Summary

Split /usr/bin/dtrace.py from systemtap-sdt-devel to optimize many buildroots by removing Python where it's not needed.

Owner

• Name: Lumír Balhar
• Email: lbalhar@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 41
• Last updated: 2024-06-04
• [Announced]
• [<will be assigned by the Wrangler> Discussion thread]
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

Package systemtap-sdt-devel contains header files and one script /usr/bin/dtrace.py written in Python and using pycparser. Because of that, many packages with runtime or buildtime requirement on systemtap-sdt-devel have Python and pycparser unnecessarily installed even though they don't need the script (and Python interpreter) at all.

Moreover, some important packages (like perl-devel) require systemtap-sdt-devel which means hundreds of packages have Python installed in their buildroots because of the single script they don't need.

The idea was tested on all packages build-requiring perl-devel but don't build-requiring python-devel directly - 520 in total. And from that number:

7  failed to build for unrelated reasons
3  packages have python3-devel in buildroot (different reasons than systempat-sdt-devel)

81 packages have python3-libs but not python3-devel (different reasons than systemtap-sdt-devel)

and finally, the rest - 436 packages - builds fine without the Python script in systemtap-sdt-devel and therefore without Python at all.

Another test rebuild of all packages directly build-requiring systemtap-sdt-devel identified these packages that need the dtrace script: glib2, sssd, qemu, python2.7, postgresql15, postgresql16, perl, php, mariadb10.11, and libvirt. Those will depend on a new package to which we move the script.

Feedback

The idea has been proposed and positively accepted on the devel list.

Benefit to Fedora

There are hundreds of packages that don't need the /usr/bin/dtrace.py (and Python in general) to build. Their buildroots will be smaller and their builds faster.

Scope

• Proposal owners:

1. Prepare a change for systemptap moving the script to systemtap-sdt-dtrace and requiring the new package from systemtap-sdt-devel for backward compatibility. 2. Prepare changes for known affected packages switching or adding the new dependency on systemtap-sdt-dtrace. 3. Remove the backward-compatible requirement from systemtap-sdt-devel.

• Other developers: Review and merge proposed changes and report bugs.

• Release engineering: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with the Fedora Strategy: N/A (not needed for this Change)

How To Test

Package maintainers can fix their packages proactively. The failed builds identifying packages requiring changes are available in COPR.

Maintainers can also build and test their packages with the version of systemtap-sdt-devel from which the script has been removed.

User Experience

Regular distro users shouldn't notice any change.

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: Change owner will revert the change in systemtap.
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)