[Spacewalk-list] Debian squeeze support

[Simon Lukasik]

On 07/20/2011 01:02 PM, Mark Round wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
>  
> 
> I am trying to manage a Debian Squeeze system – ideally, I’d like to be
> able to update packages but I understand that repo-sync doesn’t work yet
> with Debian repositories. As far as I understand though, I should be
> able to manage and update configuration files. I have a few issues with
> the Debian packages though, and wondered if anyone else had got these
> working under Debian Squeeze ?
> 
Hello Mark,

The problem is, that the most of our Debian packages are quite ancient
today.

Neither we have automated build process for .deb, nor we have all of the
packages in git, nor we have an environment for automated tests.

>  
> 
> Firstly, I have an issue with installing osad. I have added the
> http://miroslav.suchy.cz/spacewalk/debian repository, but attempting to
> install osad gives me the following error :
> 
>  
> 
> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
> 
>   osad: Depends: python-xml which is a virtual package.

Correct, it's build for sid. If you insist on osad in squeeze, it's the
best time to start hacking.

> 
>  
> 
> And I can’t proceed any further. Secondly, rhncfg-client seems broken,
> as when I try to run “rhncfg-client list”, I get the following traceback :
> 

I would say that with rhncfg* on Debian you basically stepped on an
unknown land.

>  
> 
> /usr/share/rhn/config_common/utils.py:17: DeprecationWarning: the sha
> module is deprecated; use the hashlib module instead
> 
>   import sha
> 
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> 
>   File "/usr/bin/rhncfg-client", line 34, in <module>
> 
>     sys.exit(Main().main() or 0)
> 
>   File "/usr/share/rhn/config_common/rhn_main.py", line 160, in main
> 
>     repo_module = __import__(repo_module_name)
> 
>   File "/usr/share/rhn/config_client/rpc_cli_repository.py", line 19, in
> <module>
> 
>     from config_common import local_config, cfg_exceptions, file_utils, \
> 
>   File "/usr/share/rhn/config_common/repository.py", line 39, in <module>
> 
>     import rpc_wrapper
> 
>   File "/usr/share/rhn/config_common/rpc_wrapper.py", line 20, in <module>
> 
>     from rhn_rpc import rpclib
> 
>   File "/usr/share/rhn/config_common/rhn_rpc.py", line 27, in <module>
> 
>     Fault = rpclib.Fault
> 
> AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'Fault'
> 
>  

I have an ugly workaround for this.

echo 'Fault = xmlrpclib.Fault' \
    >> /usr/share/pyshared/rhn/rpclib.py

It's described on:
    https://fedorahosted.org/spacewalk/wiki/RegisteringClients#Debian

> 
> Anyone got any pointers ?

Not much, but If you manage to rebase(*) rhnpush, rhncfg* or osad. I
would be really interested in pushing changes upstream.

(*) By rebase I mean:
 1) Find a changes done for debian (compared to .rpm package)
 2) Apply them to today's upstream version
 3) Build .deb packages

Additionally, If you are interested, there are two white papers about
Debian clients:

  http://www.fit.vutbr.cz/study/DP/DP.php?id=8013&y=2009
  http://www.fit.vutbr.cz/study/DP/BP.php?id=12397&y=2010

> 
>  
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -Mark
> 

Regards,

-- 
Simon Lukasik    Systems Management QA
slukasik at redhat.com      #satellite-qa