[Freedombox-pkg-team] Bug#1034231: freedombox: dh_installsystemd doesn't handle files in /usr/lib/systemd/system

[Sunil Mohan Adapa]

Thank you for the bug report and bringing the issue to our attention.

On 11/04/23 13:07, bigon at debian.org wrote:
> Package: freedombox
> Version: 23.6
> Severity: serious
> Tags: sid bookworm
> User: debhelper at packages.debian.org
> Usertags: systemd-files-in-usr-bookworm
> 
> Dear Maintainer,
> 
> It seems that your package freedombox is shipping files (.service, .socket or
> .timer) in /usr/lib/systemd/system.

We ship many systemd unit files. Only one of the unit files is a 
.service meant for freedombox itself. Others units are meant for other 
packages (most of them configuration extensions). These units must not 
be started/stopped when freedombox package is installed/uninstalled. 
Hence this issue applies only to a single unit: plinth.service.

> 
> This is not supported by the version of dh_installsystemd/debhelper currently
> in unstable and bookworm (See: #1031695). That means that currently your
> service might not be enabled at boot and/or started as expected.

My understanding of the bug is that dh_installsystemd will not discover 
services listed in /usr/lib and this will not change for bookworm.

Long ago, when lintian was issuing a message about moving unit files 
from /lib to /usr/lib, we have moved the files. We also realized that 
the services were not being automatically started after installing the 
package. So, we implemented a workaround to keep the files in /usr/lib 
but force dh_installsystemd to discover plinth.service. The workaround 
reads like this:

override_dh_installsystemd:
	# Do not enable or start any service other than FreedomBox service. Use
	# of --tmpdir is a hack to workaround an issue with dh_installsystemd
	# (as of debhelper 13.5.2) that still has hardcoded search path of
	# /lib/systemd/system for searching systemd services. See #987989 and
	# reversion of its changes.
	dh_installsystemd --tmpdir=debian/tmp/usr --package=freedombox 
plinth.service

> 
> With the freeze currently in effect, debhelper will not be fixed for bookworm.
> 
> As a result, could you please move these files to /lib/systemd/system instead
> so they are properly detected by debhelper?
> As soon as debhelper is supporting (not until bookworm+1 aka Trixie) you will
> be able to move them back to the newer location.

I believe that the freedombox package does not need any changes for 
bookworm. Could you please confirm that there are no changes planned for 
dh_installsystemd that would make our workaround not work anymore?

I will confirm that freedombox is working well as-is in bookworm and 
close this issue.

[...]

Thank you for your contributions,

-- 
Sunil