package promises

[Stefan Skoglund]

dns_service.cf
---
vars:
"bind_packages"
slist => { "bind9-host", "dnsutils", "bind9utils", "bind9",
"bind9-doc" };

packages:
debian.default:DNS_service::
"$(bind_packages)"
handle => "ns_$(this.namespace)_install_$(this.promiser)",
policy => "present",
package_module => default:apt_get,
classes => lokeldarn:package_installed,
comment => "installationsstanza för $(this.promiser) paketet",
meta => {"lokeldarn", "DNS"};
---


---
[sudo root@LOKELDARN@hpdc7k:/etc/apt]# cat apt.conf.d/75prefer_jessie
// Pre-configure all packages with debconf before they are installed.
// If you don't like it, comment it out.
//DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs {"/usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true";};
APT
{
Architectures { "amd64"; };
Default-Release "jessie";
GET
{
Show-Versions "true";
};
};
---

My trouble is that the installation of bind9-host downgrades one of its
dependencies, which is then later on upgraded by the installation of
bind9 (and thru dependencies triggers upgrade of bind9-host.)

Which basically means that bind9 is removed every 10 minutes and then
reinstalled....

Hilfe...

[Neil H. Watson]

Isn't that a Debian problem rather than CFengine? Check Debian for package
dependency bugs.

As a work around you might be able to do apt pinning to pin the package
versions.

--
Neil H Watson @neil_h_watson
CFEngine reporting: https://github.com/neilhwatson/delta_reporting
CFEngine policy: https://github.com/neilhwatson/evolve_cfengine_freelib
CFEngine and vim: https://github.com/neilhwatson/vim_cf3

[Marco Marongiu]

On 23/05/17 23:49, Neil H. Watson wrote:
> Isn't that a Debian problem rather than CFengine? Check Debian for package
> dependency bugs.
> As a work around you might be able to do apt pinning to pin the package
> versions.

I agree with Neil. You seem to have some dependency problems that are
outside of CFEngine's reach. I second his suggestions to use pins. Or,
if you know you are installing packages from different "releases" (e.g.
from jessie and jessie-backports) you should not mix them in the same
promise. But that gets messy quickly, pins are the definitive solution
for dependency problems.

-- M

[Alex Georgopoulos]

what does apt-cache policy bind9-host and apt-cache policy bind9 say?  That will prob tell you where there a problem.

[Stefan Skoglund]

I found the culprit and it was me (i had two different package promises
at the same time, one of the referenced the old version ...)

[Stefan Skoglund]

tis 2017-05-23 klockan 23:12 +0200 skrev Stefan Skoglund:

> dns_service.cf
> ---
> vars:
> "bind_packages"
> slist => { "bind9-host", "dnsutils", "bind9utils", "bind9",
> "bind9-doc" };
>
> packages:
> debian.default:DNS_service::
> "$(bind_packages)"
> handle => "ns_$(this.namespace)_install_$(this.promiser)",
> policy => "present",
> package_module => default:apt_get,
> classes => lokeldarn:package_installed,
> comment => "installationsstanza för $(this.promiser) paketet",
> meta => {"lokeldarn", "DNS"};
> ---

I have a question:
what is the recommended methods for storing and distribution promised
package versions (for example bind9) ?

Or is it recommended to avoid to use the 'version' field in packages
promises ?

I encode now a json file which packages is promised to be installed
example:
----
{
"_Time-stamp": "Time-stamp: <2017-05-26 23:48:40 stefan>",
"comment": "versioner av önskade bind9:paket inklusive 'host', 'dig' och 'nslookup'",

"packages":
{
"debian_7":
{
"bind9": "1:9.8.4.dfsg.P1-6+nmu2+deb7u15",
"bind9-host": "1:9.8.4.dfsg.P1-6+nmu2+deb7u15",
"bind9utils": "1:9.8.4.dfsg.P1-6+nmu2+deb7u15",
"bind9-doc": "1:9.8.4.dfsg.P1-6+nmu2+deb7u15"
},
"debian_8":
{
"bind9": "1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",
"bind9-host": "1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",
"bind9utils": "1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",
"bind9-doc": "1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",
"dnsutils": "1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",
"libbind-dev":"1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u11",

}
}
}
----

----
"package_version_data_in_buffer"
handle => "ns$(this.namespace)_package_version_data_in_buffer",
data => readdata("$(this.promise_dirname)/packages-version.json", "JSON"),
meta => { "lokeldarn", "network"};
"package_version_data"
depends_on => { "ns$(this.namespace)_package_version_data_in_buffer" },
data => mergedata("package_version_data_in_buffer"),
meta => { "lokeldarn", "network"};
----

install stanza:
---
packages:
"bind9"
policy => "present",
version => "$(package_version_data[packages][$(default:sys.flavour)][$(this.promiser)])",
package_module => default:apt_get,
meta => {"lokeldarn", "network"};
---

Im beginning to think that it is better to promise only a selected
number of packages (bind9, bind9utils, make), distribute promised
package versions in a special json file whose only usage is describing
promised versions of program packages and let the system figure the
dependencies or should i avoid hardcoding package versions at all cost ?