d/deb-testsuite

Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 12:30:39 +0200
From: Wichert Akkerman <wichert@valinux.com>
To: lwn@lwn.net, debian-devel@lists.debian.org
Subject: Comments on FHS testsuite run


I saw the results of the LSB testsuite as run against Debian woody
mention on LWN today and took a look at the failures that listed for
Debian. The test was run against woody, but with a few exceptions it
seems that potato will get the exact same results, with the exception
of mtools where potato would actually not fail the test.

Not all of the test results are fair in my opinion: some are real
bugs in Debian, others are bugs in the testsuite or the result of
using an incomplete install. I've looked on the failures we got
and a few of the other tests and assembled this set of comments.

Please also note that the testsuite isn't finished yet, and neither
is the LSB standard, so it is too early to draw any conclusions as
to how compliant any distribution will be to the final product. So
do not be fooled by things like the SuSE press release, who seem
to be ignoring that little fact.

* Reference 3.1-42: /bin/domainname not found
  Reason: test install was incomplete

  The test did not have the nis package installed; this package
  provides full support for NIS clients and servers.

* Reference: 3.4-4: /etc/disktab not found

  Euhm, I never even heard of that file

* Reference: 3.4-5: /etc/fdprm not found
  Reason: flaw in test

  The fdprm file has become obsolete in version 5.0 of fdutils and has
  been reaplced with /etc/driveprm; it should be removed from the standard.

* Reference: 3.4-7: /etc/gettydefs not found
  Reason: flaw in test

  Obsolete file from SysV, not used by Linux, Linux uses /etc/ttydefs

* Reference 3.4-15: /etc/mtools not found
  Reason: flaw in test

  The file is actually called /etc/mtools.conf

* Reference 3.4-21: /etc/ttytype not found
  Reason: Linux gettys don't support this fully; should not be in LSB

  Used to set terminals settings for each tty; Debian getty does not seem
  to use it. Default getty uses a optional commandline option instead
  if you want to override the default that init sets. Other gettys like
  mgetty also don't support it so might not be a wise thing to specify
  in LSB.

* Reference 3.4-30: /etc/hosts.lpd not found
  Reason: bug in Debian

  Looks like a real bug. lprng uses /etc/lprng/lpd.conf instead so this only
  applies to machines using lpr.

* Reference 3.4.2-1: /etc/opt does not exist
  Reason: bug in Debian

  Part of FHS 2.1, should be added to the base-files package

* Reference 4.2.4: /usr/bin/tcl not present
  Reason: tclsh used instead, possible bug in Debian?

  I fail to see why TCL should always be present; personally I would
  make it optional. Debian uses /usr/bin/tclsh instead.

* Reference 4.3.4: /usr/include/g++ not present
  Reason: flaw in test

  This g++ include files are specific for versions of g++ and as a result
  the name of the actual directory contains a version number. g++ itself
  knows the correct directory name so users don't need to know that.
  The current version of g++ uses /usr/include/g++-3 .

* Reference 4.5-8: /usr/local/src not present
  Reason: bug in Debian

  This directory should be created by base-files if it does not exist.

* Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/nls not present
  Reason: bug in Debian

  FHS 2.1 describes this as a directory for `Native language support'.
  I'm not aware of any program that uses this directory, so it currently
  does not exist. Probably should be added as an empty directory to our
  base-files packges.

* Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/tmac not present
  Reason: bug in Debian

  FHS 2.1 describes this as a directory for `troff macros not distributed
  with gross'.  I'm not aware of any program that uses this directory, so it
  currently does not exist. Probably should be added as an empty directory to
  our base-files packges.

* Reference 4.7.30-2: /usr/share/misc/ascii missing
  Reason: weird standard, possible bug in Debian

  I have no idea why this file belongs in a standard; it's not in any
  Debian package so if the standard does not remove this we will need to
  add it somewhere.

* Reference 4.7.3-4: /usr/share/misc/termcap missing
  Reason: standard uses obsolete filename

  This file is actually /etc/termcap

* Reference 4.7.3-5: /usr/share/misc/termcap.db missing
  Reason: no Linux software uses it

  I'm not aware of any Linux software actually using that file

* Reference 5.1-1: /var/account missing
  Reason: bug in Debian

  Should be added as an empty dir to base-files

* Reference 5.2.1-1: /var/cache/fonts not present
  Reason: current software uses its own paths and incompatible font caches

  Currently generated fonts are stored in application-specific directories
  (ie like TeX) and the fonts can not be shared. Changing that is a long
  term project.

* Reference 5.9-1: /var/opt missing
  Reason: bug in Debian

  Part of FHS 2.1, should be added to the base-files package

* Reference 5.11-1-2: /var/spool/lpd/lpd.lock exists

  This is an optional test, and a wrong one: it is very specific to an
  lpr implementation; other implementations may very well use a different
  lockfile.

* Reference 5.11.2-1: /var/spool/rwho does not exists
  Reason: test install was incomplete

  The test did not have the rwhos package installed

* Reference 5.14-1: /var/yp and NIS support missing
  Reason: test install was incomplete

  The test did not have the nis package installed; this package
  provides full support for NIS clients and servers.

* Reference 6.1.2-16: /dev/vcs missing
  Reason: flaw in test

  Debian definitely has a correct /dev/vcs file; maybe the test broke since
  it is a symlink to /dev/vcs0


Summary: from the 17 failed test, only the following are real failures
in my opinion:

* Reference 3.4-30: /etc/hosts.lpd not found
* Reference 3.4.2-1: /etc/opt does not exist
* Reference 4.5-8: /usr/local/src not present
* Reference 4.2.4: /usr/bin/tcl not present
* Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/nls not present
* Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/tmac not present
* Reference 5.1-1: /var/account missing
* Reference 5.9-1: /var/opt missing
* Reference 5.2.1-1: /var/cache/fonts not present

And all except three of those can be fixed by simply creating empty
directories.

Wichert.

-- 
  _________________________________________________________________
 /       Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool     \
| wichert@cistron.nl                  http://www.liacs.nl/~wichert/ |
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