[debian-mysql] final decision about MySQL r-deps needed / cleaning up the MySQL mess

[Rene Engelhard]

Hi Release Team,

I am completely confused and puzzled about the currrent MySQL vs. MariaDB
situation.

There was
https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2016/09/msg00000.html

I brought this up in
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-mysql-maint/2016-August/009346.html
and as told that I can continue (build-)depending on libmysqlclient from MySQL.

Especially given
 - mysql-connector-c++s upstream is Oracle, so they obviously do not care
   about MariaDB and (can) just require MySQL
 - mysql-workbench (also Oracle I think) in newer versions apparently needs
   mysql-connector-c++ >= 1.1.7
 - mysql-connector-c++ starting from 1.1.5 (IIRC) needs MySQL >= 5.6 to build
   (and doesn't build with MariaDB) and mysql-connector-c++ 1.1.7 needs even
   MySQL >= 5.7
 - both LO and MySQL Workbench crash with > 1.1.3 of mysql-connector-c++
   at least on i386
   (Interestingly, the mysql-workbench "maintainer" didn't do *any* action or
    offer to help to fix https://bugs.debian.org/836731, which is why sid
    is stuck with 1.1.3)

Now I saw this upload today:

Format: 1.8
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:10:56 +0200
Source: mysql-5.7
[..]
Description:
 libmysqlclient-dev - MySQL database development files
 libmysqlclient20 - MySQL database client library
[...]
Closes: 837883
Changes:
 mysql-5.7 (5.7.15-1) unstable; urgency=medium
[...]

which obviously will cause in a (uncoordinated) transition.

While it could be be done, I saw
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-mysql-maint/2016-October/009583.html, which says:

--- snip ---
The release and security teams have decided that MySQL will live only in
unstable for stretch due to the perceived complications with tracking
security patches in MySQL.
--- snip ---

which then also implies mysql-* will be removed which  then also implies
thet everything needs to transition away from it or it (will be removed).

This was also said in a discussion on #debian-mysql. Without any acknowlegement
that there should have been more direct communication of what people should do.

So what should a maintainer do?

Remove MySQL dependencies and replace it with MariaDB or it won't be in stretch?
What happens for stuff requring MySQL?

In this specific case, what should I do?

a) keep mysql-connector-c++ built against MySQL? That would mean keeping
   mysql-5.7 because of the libreoffice-mysql-connector -> libmysqlcppconnv5 ->
   libmysqlclient20 dependency chain.
   This would mean I could keep libreoffice-mysql-connector and at some time
   in the future mysql-workbench could use this, too
b) build mysql-connector-c++ 1.1.3 against MariaDB? Would work for 1.1.3 (and
   probably 1.1.4), but not for anything >= 1.1.5 as that one needs MySQL 5.6
   ot even 5.7 to build and subsequently don't build against MariaDB (see
   above).
   This would mean I could keep libreoffice-mysql-connector but would cause
   issues for proper packaging of mysql-workbench. But then again Dmitry
   can take it over?  
c) drop libreoffice-mysql-connector

 (thereoretically there's c0) meaning "use internal mysql-connector-c++ 1.1.4,
 which we then could build against MariaDB, but that would introduce usage
 of a internal code copy, and I've no idea whether that 1.1.4 build will also 
 be affected by https://bugs.debian.org/836731. So  the "safe" solution would
 be c))

Regards,

Rene