Bug#1029505: python3-minimal installs recommend package python3

Ricardo Fraile

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Jan 23, 2023, 8:50:03 AM1/23/23

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Package: python3-minimal
Version: 3.11.1-1
Severity: normal
X-Debbugs-Cc: r...@rfmoz.eu

Dear Maintainer,

The execution of apt installs the full python package:

# apt install python3-minimal
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
libmpdec3 libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib media-types python3.10 python3.10-minimal
Suggested packages:
python3.10-venv python3.10-doc binfmt-support
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libmpdec3 libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib media-types python3-minimal python3.10 python3.10-minimal
0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
Need to get 5076 kB of archives.
After this operation, 20.4 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

If you hold it "apt-mark hold python3.10". The python3-minimal is installed as usual.

The full python package is a recommended package, not a requirement for python3-minimal.

Thanks,

-- System Information:
Debian Release: bookworm/sid
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 4.19.0-5-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_OOT_MODULE, TAINT_UNSIGNED_MODULE
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: unable to detect

Versions of packages python3-minimal depends on:
ii dpkg 1.21.12
ii python3.11-minimal 3.11.1-2

python3-minimal recommends no packages.

python3-minimal suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information

Ricardo F

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Jan 23, 2023, 9:20:04 AM1/23/23

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Sorry, the request here is about the review of the change from
recommended to suggested to avoid the auto install.

Thanks,

Ricardo F

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Jan 23, 2023, 9:20:04 AM1/23/23

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Stefano Rivera

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Jan 28, 2023, 5:10:03 PM1/28/23

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Tag: -1 + moreinfo unreproducible

Hi Ricardo (2023.01.23_09:39:34_-0400)

> # apt install python3-minimal
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Reading state information... Done
> The following additional packages will be installed:
> libmpdec3 libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib media-types python3.10 python3.10-minimal
> Suggested packages:
> python3.10-venv python3.10-doc binfmt-support
> The following NEW packages will be installed:
> libmpdec3 libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib media-types python3-minimal python3.10 python3.10-minimal
> 0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
> Need to get 5076 kB of archives.
> After this operation, 20.4 MB of additional disk space will be used.
> Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

In a minimal chroot, I get:

# apt install python3-minimal
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done

The following packages will be upgraded:
python3-minimal
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 18 not upgraded.
Need to get 25.7 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 python3-minimal amd64 3.11.1-2 [25.7 kB]
Fetched 25.7 kB in 0s (2065 kB/s)
debconf: delaying package configuration, since apt-utils is not installed
(Reading database ... 12792 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../python3-minimal_3.11.1-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python3-minimal (3.11.1-2) over (3.11.1-1) ...
Setting up python3-minimal (3.11.1-2) ...
root@first-ghost:~# dpkg -l python3.11
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-==============-============-============-=================================
un python3.11 <none> <none> (no description available)

You sure you don't have something else installed that's bringing it in?

SR

--
Stefano Rivera
http://tumbleweed.org.za/
+1 415 683 3272

Ricardo F

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Jan 29, 2023, 3:20:05 AM1/29/23

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Hi Stefano:

Tested with a simple container:

$ docker run -it debian:sid bash

# apt update && apt install python3-minimal
Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid InRelease [167 kB]
Get:2 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 Packages [9406 kB]
Fetched 9573 kB in 3s (3532 kB/s)

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done

25 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:

krb5-locales libexpat1 libgpm2 libgssapi-krb5-2 libk5crypto3
libkeyutils1 libkrb5-3 libkrb5support0 libmpdec3 libncursesw6 libnsl2
libpython3.11-minimal libpython3.11-stdlib libreadline8
libsqlite3-0 libssl3 libtinfo6 libtirpc-common libtirpc3 media-types
ncurses-base ncurses-bin python3.11 python3.11-minimal readline-common
Suggested packages:
gpm krb5-doc krb5-user python3.11-venv python3.11-doc binutils
binfmt-support readline-doc

The following NEW packages will be installed:

krb5-locales libexpat1 libgpm2 libgssapi-krb5-2 libk5crypto3
libkeyutils1 libkrb5-3 libkrb5support0 libmpdec3 libncursesw6 libnsl2
libpython3.11-minimal libpython3.11-stdlib libreadline8
libsqlite3-0 libssl3 libtirpc-common libtirpc3 media-types
python3-minimal python3.11 python3.11-minimal readline-common

The following packages will be upgraded:

libtinfo6 ncurses-base ncurses-bin
3 upgraded, 23 newly installed, 0 to remove and 22 not upgraded.
Need to get 10.4 MB of archives.
After this operation, 33.6 MB of additional disk space will be used.

Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

Here you see the python3.11 installation, but it's because apt is
pulling the recommends by default.

Check this other execution with the argument "--no-install-recommends":

# apt install python3-minimal --no-install-recommends

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:

libexpat1 libpython3.11-minimal libssl3 python3.11-minimal
Suggested packages:
binfmt-support
Recommended packages:
libpython3.11-stdlib python3.11

The following NEW packages will be installed:

libexpat1 libpython3.11-minimal libssl3 python3-minimal
python3.11-minimal
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 25 not upgraded.
Need to get 5009 kB of archives.
After this operation, 18.9 MB of additional disk space will be used.

Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

The python3.11 is not installed.

I think that python3.11 must be labeled inside suggests instead of
recommends. On debian/control:

85,86c85
< Recommends: python3.11
< Suggests: binfmt-support
---
> Suggests: binfmt-support, python3.11

Thanks,

Stefano Rivera

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Jan 30, 2023, 10:50:04 AM1/30/23

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Control: tag -1 - unreproducible, moreinfo

Hi Ricardo (2023.01.29_04:09:09_-0400)

> Here you see the python3.11 installation, but it's because apt is pulling
> the recommends by default.

Ah, yes. My minimal chroot wasn't minimal enough.

I see that python3.X-minimal Recommends python3.x.
I don't know the origin of this Recommends, but it's been there a long
time.

And it really does stand. We don't recommend that anyone use the
-minimal interpreter on its own. It exists for use-cases where size
really matters, like installer environments, and Recommends would
generally be disabled in those scenarios.

We strongly discourage anything in Debian from depending on the minimal
packages:
https://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/python-policy/index.html#minimal-packages

So, let's go back to first principles. What problem are you trying to
solve that requires the minimal interpreter, but also wants Recommends
enabled?