[Pkg-freeipa-devel] Bug#1014503: bind9-libs: please provide libraries that enable reverse dependencies to use them

[Paul Gevers]

Package: bind9-libs
Version: 1:9.18.1-1
Severity: serious
X-Debbugs-Cc: bind-dyndb-ldap at packages.debian.org
Control: affects -1 bind-dyndb-ldap

Dear bind9 maintainers,

As a Release Manager I had to binNMU bind-dyndb-ldap already a couple
of times lately to enable src:bind9 to migrate (e.g. a recent security
update migrated only after several weeks because nobody noticed that
bind9 didn't migrate to testing). Today I had a look of why
bind-dyndb-ldap has such a tight dependency on bind9-libs and found
out that's because the libraries provided by bind9 are changing with
every build (see bug 1004729). I'm not very versed in SONAMEs and
ABI/API compatibility, but nearly all libraries are providing
soft-links to the real library file as long as the interfaces are
compatible.

If the bind9 libraries are really not stable, i.e. they change ABI on
every build, then I think bind9 shouldn't provide public libraries. If
the libraries are for public use, like bind-dyndb-ldap uses them, than
I think you have to work out a why that bind-dyndb-ldap doesn't need
the strict dependency it has now.

The current situation requires too much baby-sitting. Currently
binNMU'ing bind9 doesn't work without binNMU'ing bind-dyndb-ldap too
and nobody will notice that for a while.

Paul