[Fedora-packaging] Re: User IDs in Core packages?

[Sarantis Paskalis]

On Thu, Feb 01, 2007 at 02:28:31PM +0100, Axel Thimm wrote:
> > Thanks for the pointer.  I didn't know its existence.  One issue 
> > that arises now is whether a merge of 
> > http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageUserRegistry and this file
> > (/usr/share/doc/setup-*/uidgid) is to be considered.
> 
> These are very different objects, the uidgid are fixed, absolute
> uids/gids, while the wiki URL above is for the floating model of
> adding uids/gids (e.g. there is some per-machine settable value that
> is added).
> 
> Personally I strongly recommend against using the floating model,
> because
> 
> a) the added base value is arbitrary
> b) any change after the first install of the helper tool of this base
>    value will break all previous installs using this method
> c) it isn't transparent to the user (admin) that some upper part of
>    his uid/gid space is reserved for this method, so he may be
>    accidentially using it.

I understand that and I recall some heated exchange between proponents 
of different models.  My impression was that this model was born because 
it was impossible/very difficult to fix uidgids in core for extras 
packages due to the division between core and extras, and that it would 
be preferable to maintain a fixed uidgid for all applications/programs 
that needed it.  My impression was also that those programs listed in 
the wiki actually wanted/needed a fixed uidgid, but could not get one 
because of this difficulty.

Now that there should be no distinction between core and extras, the 
fixed uidgid possibility should become available to former extras 
packages, starting from those that probably needed it most (the ones in 
the wiki).

That was my point really.  If my understanding of the situation was not 
correct, please accept my apologies.

Thanks,

-- Sarantis