Latest revision as of 15:57, 4 January 2021

Stop Shipping Individual Nodejs Library Packages

Summary

For Nodejs, Fedora should only package:

The interpreter, development headers/libraries, and the assorted tools to manage project-level installations (NPM, yarn, etc.).
Packages that provide binaries that users would want to use in their shell.
compiled/binary nodejs modules (for now)

Owner

Name: Troy Dawson
Email: tdawson@redhat.com
Name: Stephen Gallagher
Email: sgallagh@redhat.com
Name: [Nodejs SIG]
Email: nodejs@lists.fedoraproject.org

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora 34
Last updated: 2021-01-04
FESCo issue: #2523
Tracker bug: #1912515
Release notes tracker: #624

Detailed Description

The nodejs libraries have been approved to be bundled, and there is infrastructure in place for the bundling to work properly. Currently, it is recommended that packagers should create individual nodejs library packages instead of bundling all of the libraries into the package requiring them. This change is to make it default to bundle the nodejs libraries with the package that needs them, and retire the vast majority of nodejs library packages.

In summary, for Nodejs Fedora should only package:

The interpreter, development headers/libraries, and the assorted tools to manage project-level installations (NPM, yarn, etc.).
Packages that provide binaries that users would want to use in their shell.
compiled/binary nodejs modules (for now)

Feedback

There has been a discussion on the fedora nodejs mailing list about what to do with the extreme dependency problem of the nodejs library packages. Because of the extreme inter-dependency, upgrading almost any package causes others to break. It has caused most packages to rot, remaining on unsupported versions for years. Many of the nodejs packagers are giving up and orphaning their packages, which has caused even more problems.

An initial proposal was to find all of the important nodejs library packages and bundle those, making them easier to upgrade and maintain. But there was problems with figuring out what was important, and what versions should those have. During that discussion, this rather extreme solution of getting rid of all nodejs libraries was proposed. To our surprise, it has been the best received suggestion and fixes the most problems.

Benefit to Fedora

In Fedora 33, there are many nodejs libraries that are uninstallable, thus causing other programs based off them to also be uninstallable. This gets rid of that problem.
Packages in Fedora that use nodejs libraries will be able to use the library versions that upstream has tested and approved.
If a package in Fedora uses a nodejs library, the packager will not have to also package extra individual nodejs library packages. There have been times this has led to over 100 extra packages, each with their own package reviews and maintenance problems. This change will lower the workload on that packager, and possibly get more packages into Fedora.
The nodejs maintainers can concentrate on nodejs itself, instead of the whole nodejs library infrastructure.
Nodejs developers using Fedora will no longer have to worry about Fedora's global nodejs libraries causing conflicts or inconsistencies.

Scope

Proposal owners:

We will go through the Fedora release and determine what nodejs packages Fedora should package. We will implement nodejs library bundling on those we already own. For those that we do not own, we will work with their owners to implement nodejs library bundling.

As packages implement nodejs library bundling, we will monitor the nodejs libraries and note which ones are no longer required. When they are no longer required, we will retire them, if we own them. If we do not own them, we will work with the owners to retire them, if they wish.

Other developers:

For Fedora packagers whose package rely on nodejs libraries, please contact the [Nodejs SIG] and we will help you find the easiest way to bundle your nodejs libraries.

For Fedora nodejs library packages, look to see what depends on your library. If it looks like you can do so, retire your nodejs library. If you would like, give the [Nodejs SIG] admin to your nodejs libraries, and they will work through the process for you.

Release engineering: #Releng issue number (a check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed)

Policies and guidelines: https://pagure.io/packaging-committee/pull-request/1034

Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Alignment with Objectives:

Upgrade/compatibility impact

N/A

How To Test

Install all nodejs libraries in Fedora 33. Try to update to Fedora 34.
Try to install all packages that require nodejs in Fedora 34.
Install all packages that require nodejs in Fedora 33. Try to update to Fedora 34.

User Experience

non-developer end users should not see anything different. Their nodejs binaries should continue to work.

Nodejs developers using Fedora will no longer have to worry about Fedora's global nodejs libraries causing conflicts or inconsistencies.

Dependencies

As nodejs library packages are removed, we will work with the various packages that depend on them. We will help them bundle their nodejs libraries.

Contingency Plan

Since we will be bundling the nodejs binaries, before we remove their current dependencies, we will simply stop where we are at the freeze. There will be nothing to back out.

Contingency mechanism: N/A
Contingency deadline: N/A
Blocks release? N/A
Blocks product? N/A

Documentation

Node.js Packaging Guidelines will be changed with this pull request - #1034

Release Notes

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{admon/tip | Guidance | For details on how to fill out this form, see the [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/program_management/changes_guide/ documentation].}}
-<!-- The actual name of your proposed change page should look something like: Changes/Your_Change_Proposal_Name.  This keeps all change proposals in the same namespace -->
 = Stop Shipping Individual Nodejs Library Packages =
@@ Line 29: / Line 25: @@
 == Current status ==
-[[Category:ChangePageIncomplete]]
+[[Category:ChangeAcceptedF34]]
 <!-- When your change proposal page is completed and ready for review and announcement -->
 <!-- remove Category:ChangePageIncomplete and change it to Category:ChangeReadyForWrangler -->
@@ Line 48: / Line 44: @@
 CLOSED as NEXTRELEASE -> change is completed and verified and will be delivered in next release under development
 -->
-* FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* FESCo issue: [https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/2523 #2523]
-* Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* Tracker bug: [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1912515 #1912515]
-* Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
+* Release notes tracker: [https://pagure.io/fedora-docs/release-notes/issue/624 #624]
 == Detailed Description ==
 The nodejs libraries have been approved to be bundled, and there is infrastructure in place for the bundling to work properly.  Currently, it is recommended that packagers should create individual nodejs library packages instead of bundling all of the libraries into the package requiring them.
-This change is to make it default to bundle the nodejs libraries with the package that needs then, and retire the vast majority of nodejs library packages.
+This change is to make it default to bundle the nodejs libraries with the package that needs them, and retire the vast majority of nodejs library packages.
 In summary, for Nodejs Fedora should only package:
@@ Line 65: / Line 61: @@
 == Feedback ==
-There has been a discussion on the fedora nodejs mailing list about what to do with the extreme dependency problem of the nodejs library packages.  Because of the extreme inter-dependency, upgrading almost any package causes others to break.  It has caused most packages to rot, un-upgraded for years.  Many of the nodejs packagers are giving up and orphaning their packages, which has caused even more problems.
+There has been a discussion on the fedora nodejs mailing list about what to do with the extreme dependency problem of the nodejs library packages.  Because of the extreme inter-dependency, upgrading almost any package causes others to break.  It has caused most packages to rot, remaining on unsupported versions for years.  Many of the nodejs packagers are giving up and orphaning their packages, which has caused even more problems.
-An initial proposal was to find all of the important nodejs library packages and bundle those, making them easier to upgrade and maintain.  But there was problems with figuring out what was important, and what versions should those have.  During that discussion this rather extreme solution, of getting rid of all nodejs libraries was proposed.  To our surprise, it has been the best suggestion and fixes the most problems.
+An initial proposal was to find all of the important nodejs library packages and bundle those, making them easier to upgrade and maintain.  But there was problems with figuring out what was important, and what versions should those have.  During that discussion, this rather extreme solution of getting rid of all nodejs libraries was proposed.  To our surprise, it has been the best received suggestion and fixes the most problems.
 == Benefit to Fedora ==
-* In Fedora 33, there are many nodejs libraries that are uninstallable, causing other programs based off them, to also be uninstallable.  This get's rid of that problem.
+* In Fedora 33, there are many nodejs libraries that are uninstallable, thus causing other programs based off them to also be uninstallable.  This gets rid of that problem.
 * Packages in Fedora that use nodejs libraries will be able to use the library versions that upstream has tested and approved.
 * If a package in Fedora uses a nodejs library, the packager will not have to also package extra individual nodejs library packages.  There have been times this has led to over 100 extra packages, each with their own package reviews and maintenance problems.  This change will lower the workload on that packager, and possibly get more packages into Fedora.
 * The nodejs maintainers can concentrate on nodejs itself, instead of the whole nodejs library infrastructure.
+* Nodejs developers using Fedora will no longer have to worry about Fedora's global nodejs libraries causing conflicts or inconsistencies.
 == Scope ==
 * Proposal owners:
-We ([[User:tdawson| Troy Dawson]], [[User:sgallagh| Stephen Gallagher]], [[https://developer.fedoraproject.org/tech/languages/nodejs/SIG.html| Nodejs SIG members]]) will go through the Fedora release and determine what nodejs packages Fedora should package.
+We will go through the Fedora release and determine what nodejs packages Fedora should package. We will implement nodejs library bundling on those we already own.  For those that we do not own, we will work with their owners to implement nodejs library bundling.
-For those nodejs packages we already own that we want to keep, we will implement this bundling.  For those nodejs packages that we already own, that we do not want to keep, we will orphan responsibly.
-For packages that currently depend on nodejs libraries that we do not own, we will work with their owners to implement nodejs library bundling.
+As packages implement nodejs library bundling, we will monitor the nodejs libraries and note which ones are no longer required.  When they are no longer required, we will retire them, if we own them.  If we do not own them, we will work with the owners to retire them, if they wish.
-For those nodejs libraries that we do not own, we will work with their owners to orphan them responsibly.
-<!-- What work do the feature owners have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
 * Other developers:
 For Fedora packagers whose package rely on nodejs libraries, please contact the [[https://developer.fedoraproject.org/tech/languages/nodejs/SIG.html| Nodejs SIG]] and we will help you find the easiest way to bundle your nodejs libraries.
-For Fedora nodejs library packages, look to see what depends on your library.  If it looks like you can, then orphan your nodejs library.  If you would like, give the [[https://developer.fedoraproject.org/tech/languages/nodejs/SIG.html| Nodejs SIG]] admin to your nodejs libraries, and they will work through the process for you.
+For Fedora nodejs library packages, look to see what depends on your library.  If it looks like you can do so, retire your nodejs library.  If you would like, give the [[https://developer.fedoraproject.org/tech/languages/nodejs/SIG.html| Nodejs SIG]] admin to your nodejs libraries, and they will work through the process for you.
-<!-- What work do other developers have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
 * Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number] (a check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
@@ Line 99: / Line 88: @@
 The issue is required to be filed prior to feature submission, to ensure that someone is on board to do any process development work and testing and that all changes make it into the pipeline; a bullet point in a change is not sufficient communication -->
-* Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Policies and guidelines: https://pagure.io/packaging-committee/pull-request/1034 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- Do the packaging guidelines or other documents need to be updated for this feature?  If so, does it need to happen before or after the implementation is done?  If a FPC ticket exists, add a link here. -->
 * Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
 * Alignment with Objectives:
@@ Line 109: / Line 97: @@
 == Upgrade/compatibility impact ==
+N/A
-As nodejs library packages are removed, we will work with the various packages that depend on them.  We will help them bundle their nodejs libraries.
-To help people updating we will utilize the fedora-obsolete-packages.  It will obsolete all the various nodejs libraries that are removed, and allow people to do updates to Fedora 34.
 <!-- What happens to systems that have had a previous versions of Fedora installed and are updated to the version containing this change? Will anything require manual configuration or data migration? Will any existing functionality be no longer supported? -->
@@ Line 122: / Line 107: @@
 == User Experience ==
+non-developer end users should not see anything different.  Their nodejs binaries should continue to work.
+Nodejs developers using Fedora will no longer have to worry about Fedora's global nodejs libraries causing conflicts or inconsistencies.
 <!-- If this change proposal is noticeable by users, how will their experiences change as a result?
@@ Line 134: / Line 124: @@
 == Dependencies ==
+As nodejs library packages are removed, we will work with the various packages that depend on them. We will help them bundle their nodejs libraries.
 <!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this change depends?  In other words, completion of another change owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel change)? -->
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
 == Contingency Plan ==
+Since we will be bundling the nodejs binaries, before we remove their current dependencies, we will simply stop where we are at the freeze.  There will be nothing to back out.
-<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "Revert the shipped configuration".  Or it might not (e.g. rebuilding a number of dependent packages).  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
+* Contingency mechanism: N/A
-* Contingency mechanism: (What to do?  Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Contingency deadline: N/A
-<!-- When is the last time the contingency mechanism can be put in place?  This will typically be the beta freeze. -->
+* Blocks release? N/A
-* Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Blocks product? N/A
-<!-- Does finishing this feature block the release, or can we ship with the feature in incomplete state? -->
-* Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-* Blocks product? product <!-- Applicable for Changes that blocks specific product release/Fedora.next -->
 == Documentation ==
-<!-- Is there upstream documentation on this change, or notes you have written yourself?  Link to that material here so other interested developers can get involved. -->
+[https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/packaging-guidelines/Node.js/| Node.js Packaging Guidelines] will be changed with this [https://pagure.io/packaging-committee/pull-request/1034| pull request - #1034]
-<!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
 == Release Notes ==

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