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Module Context Upgrade Paths

Summary

Modularity doesn't define any upgrade paths among module Contexts. Fix that by introducing following changes:

  • Change NSVCA module identifier to NSCVA; NSC will define a group of packages that belong together (a "repository")
  • Enabling a Stream will resolve a module transaction and store information about
  • Change stream expansion so related module builds always end up with the same Context
  • Use only the latest Version of a module to compute module Stream dependencies
  • Allow Context to be human-readable rather than the current hash (Context is close to the %{?dist} macro)
  • Drop explicit runtime dependency on platform ($releasever should be good enough)


Owner


Current status

  • Targeted release: Fedora 34
  • Last updated: 2020-06-25
  • 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

Modules are identified with N:S:V:C:A identifier. This ID doesn't explicitly determine how the related modules should be grouped together and ordered to enable upgrade paths among them.

This has several consequences:

  • Modules are difficult to work with, the relations are not obvious at the first sight.
  • DNF literally guesses the upgrade paths by resolving a transaction for each module version and it frequently fails to find a solution.


Feedback

Benefit to Fedora

  • Allow stream dependency changes (remember libgit2 problem?).
  • Make modularity less complex and easier to understand for end-users, sysadmins, and also packagers.
  • DNF will not error out on module dependency problems that frequently.


Scope

  • Proposal owners:
    • Create modulemd v3 document that supports the new stream expansion.
    • Work with libmodulemd upstream to implement modulemd v3.
    • Work with MBS developers to implement the new stream expansion.
  • Other developers:
    • Change modulemd sources to explicitly list contexts to be expanded by MBS
  • Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)


Upgrade/compatibility impact

N/A (not a System Wide Change)


How To Test

  • A module dependency change in a Stream must work.
    • example:
      • n:s:c:1:x86_64 requires nodejs:10
      • n:s:c:2:x86_64 requires nodejs:12
  • Context gaps no longer cause module dependency problems.
    • example:
      • n:s:pl528:1:x86_64 requires perl:5.28
      • there's no context for perl:5.30 in version 1
      • n:s:pl528:2:x86_64 requires perl:5.28
      • n:s:pl530:2:x86_64 requires perl:5.30
      • there's no context for perl:5.28 in version 3
      • n:s:pl530:3:x86_64 requires perl:5.30

User Experience

Users will not experience modularity issues in DNF that frequently.


Dependencies

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No
  • Blocks product? product


Documentation

Changes to modularity documentation will be made during implementing this Change.


Release Notes