Changes/NoBinDeps

Change Packaging Guidelines to discourage requires into /bin and /sbin

Summary

Disallow dependencies on files under /bin, /sbin, /lib and /lib64.

Owner

• Name: Ales Kozumplik
• Email: ales@redhat.com
• Release notes owner:

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 20
• Last updated: July 16, 2013.
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

The current packaging guidelines read:

 Whenever possible you should avoid file dependencies outside of /etc, /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, or /usr/sbin.

I propose changing this to:

 Whenever possible you should avoid file dependencies outside of /etc, /usr/bin, or /usr/sbin.

Related FPC ticket https://fedorahosted.org/fpc/ticket/314, FPC wanted this change to be created.

Benefit to Fedora

Making the UsrMove business a bit less unfinished. /bin dependencies etc. don't currently work for dependency resulition properly anyway, there's nothing providing e.g. /bin/python, even though the two paths are accidentally the same in today's Fedora.

Scope

• Proposal owners: None

• Other developers: replace all explicit /bin/<foo> requires with /usr/bin/<foo>.

• Release engineering: N/A

• Policies and guidelines: update the packaging guidelines accordingly.

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Packages with broken /bin requires will be installable again once they are fixed.

How To Test

Packaging guidelines contain information that /bin etc. requires should be avoided.

User Experience

End users will not notice.

Dependencies

None.

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: FPC changing the guideline.
• Contingency deadline: Anytime.
• Blocks release? No.

Documentation

This proposal and the Fedora Packaging Guidelines.