Latest revision as of 08:55, 7 September 2022

Gettext Runtime Subpackage

Summary

Subpackage gettext's runtime programs in a small runtime subpackage, reducing the default install footprint.

Owner

Name: Sundeep ANAND, Jens Petersen
Email: suanand@redhat.com, petersen@redhat.com

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora Linux 37
Last updated: 2022-09-07
devel thread
FESCo issue: #2818
Tracker bug: #2103239
Release notes tracker: #852

Detailed Description

Gettext is one of the core packages. Its installed on-disk size is about ~6.1 MB. Extracting runtime utilities from main gettext package into a separate sub-package will reduce the default system footprint by about ~4.7 MB on most normal installations.

Note further that envsubst has also been split out into the gettext-envsubst subpackage allowing it to be installed independently.

After the split this should look like:

gettext-runtime subpackage
-----------------------
compressed size: 172 kB
uncompressed size: 749.6 kB

gettext package
------------------------
compressed size: 1.0 MB
uncompressed size: 4.7 MB

As gettext-runtime depends on gettext-libs:

gettext-libs subpackage
-----------------------
compressed size: 322K
uncompressed size: 933.7 kB

Grouping of binaries:

gettext-runtime:
envsubst gettext gettext.sh ngettext

gettext:
msgattrib msgcat msgcmp msgcomm msgconv msgen msgexec msgfilter msgfmt msggrep msginit msgmerge msgunfmt msguniq recode-sr-latin xgettext

Feedback

initial devel thread floating subpackaging idea (April 2022)

Benefit to Fedora

Space saving of about ~4.7 MB for typical installations.

Scope

Proposal owners:
- Add Provides: gettext-runtime to gettext [done in rawhide]
- Update the gettext package in rawhide to have the new gettext-runtime subpackage, pulled in by the gettext base package (PR)
- File bugs against packages that could be changed to only need gettext-runtime at runtime.
- Subpackage envsubst as a mini-subpackage of gettext-runtime (bz)

Other developers:
- Packagers who own packages that have a direct runtime dependency on gettext (roughly 30 packages) and that actually only need gettext-runtime can change their Requires: gettext to the new gettext-runtime subpackage in Rawhide.

Release engineering: #10836

Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

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

Alignment with Objectives:

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Impact should be low: on upgrade both packages will get installed on systems that had gettext installed.

How To Test

Test upgrades from F36 to F37
Test minimal/default installs continue to work as expected
Packages that depend on gettext continue to rebuild, install, and function normally

User Experience

User will see a new lighter gettext-runtime package and a gettext package.
This subpackage separation also corresponds to the recommended packaging by upstream and Debian's gettext-base and gettext packages.

Dependencies

Packages which explicitly have a dependency on gettext need to check if they only need programs provided by gettext-runtime, and if so they can update their dependency to gettext-runtime from gettext.

Only about 33 Fedora packages currently require gettext (whereas almost 1200 packages have a buildtime dependency):

NsCDE backup-manager blivet-gui byobu debootstrap deepin-gettext-tools ecryptfs-utils fontconfig gambas3 gnome-books gnome-common grub2 ibus ibus-chewing kf5-ki18n libpst libvirt lokalize mate-common osmo photocollage playonlinux po-debconf po4a poedit redhat-lsb rpminspect sensible-utils sugar-toolkit-gtk3 translate-toolkit vdr vim-syntastic yast2-devtools

Contingency Plan

Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) Package owners to revert relevant packages.
Contingency deadline: Beta freeze
Blocks release? No

Documentation

https://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=gettext.git;a=blob;f=PACKAGING

Release Notes

gettext-runtime and gettext-envsubst subpackages have been added to gettext to separate out the programs needed at runtime, reducing the default install footprint.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <!-- 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 -->
-= Gettext Runtime Package =
+= Gettext Runtime Subpackage =
-<!-- The name of your change proposal -->
 == Summary ==
 <!-- A sentence or two summarizing what this change is and what it will do. This information is used for the overall changeset summary page for each release. Note that motivation for the change should be in the Benefit to Fedora section below, and this part should answer the question "What?" rather than "Why?". -->
-Moving the gettext runtime libraries from the gettext package into a separate runtime sub-package.
+Subpackage gettext's runtime programs in a small runtime subpackage, reducing the default install footprint.
 == Owner ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 12: @@
 This should link to your home wiki page so we know who you are.
 -->
-* Name: [[User:Sundeep|Sundeep ANAND]]
+* Name: [[User:Sundeep|Sundeep ANAND]], [[User:Petersen|Jens Petersen]]
 <!-- Include you email address that you can be reached should people want to contact you about helping with your change, status is requested, or technical issues need to be resolved. If the change proposal is owned by a SIG, please also add a primary contact person. -->
-* Email: suanand@redhat.com
+* Email: suanand@redhat.com, petersen@redhat.com
-* Name: [[User:Petersen|Jens Petersen]]
-* Email: petersen@redhat.com
 <!--- UNCOMMENT only for Changes with assigned Shepherd (by FESCo)
 * FESCo shepherd: [[User:FASAccountName| Shehperd name]] <email address>
@@ Line 27: / Line 24: @@
 <!-- The Wrangler announces the Change to the devel-announce list and changes the category to Category:ChangeAnnounced (no action required) -->
 <!-- After review, the Wrangler will move your page to Category:ChangeReadyForFesco... if it still needs more work it will move back to Category:ChangePageIncomplete-->
-[[Category:ChangePageIncomplete]]
+[[Category:ChangeAcceptedF37]]
 <!-- [[Category:ChangeReadyForWrangler]]-->
 <!-- Select proper category, default is Self Contained Change -->
@@ Line 41: / Line 38: @@
 ON_QA -> change is fully code complete
 -->
-* FESCo issue:
+* [https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/D24H2E6WW4BB6KYRMDO5HCPZLEUTFWD6/ devel thread]
-* Tracker bug:
+* FESCo issue: [https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/2818 #2818]
-* Release notes tracker:
+* Tracker bug: [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2103239 #2103239]
+* Release notes tracker: [https://pagure.io/fedora-docs/release-notes/issue/852 #852]
 == Detailed Description ==
 <!-- Expand on the summary, if appropriate.  A couple sentences suffices to explain the goal, but the more details you can provide the better. -->
-Gettext is one of the core packages. Its installed on-disk size is about ~6.1 MB. A large number of packages directly or indirectly depend on it. Extracting "runtime" from main gettext package into a separate sub-package would reduce the footprint by about ~4.7 MB on most normal installations.
+Gettext is one of the core packages. Its installed on-disk size is about ~6.1 MB. Extracting runtime utilities from main gettext package into a separate sub-package will reduce the default system footprint by about ~4.7 MB on most normal installations.
+''Note further that envsubst has also been split out into the gettext-envsubst subpackage allowing it to be installed independently.''
 After the split this should look like:
 <pre>
-gettext-runtime package
+gettext-runtime subpackage
 -----------------------
 compressed size: 172 kB
 uncompressed size: 749.6 kB
-gettext subpackage
+gettext package
 ------------------------
 compressed size: 1.0 MB
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 <!-- Summarize the feedback from the community and address why you chose not to accept proposed alternatives. This section is optional for all change proposals but is strongly suggested. Incorporating feedback here as it is raised gives FESCo a clearer view of your proposal and leaves a good record for the future. If you get no feedback, that is useful to note in this section as well. For innovative or possibly controversial ideas, consider collecting feedback before you file the change proposal. -->
-* initial [https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/CRMFB7JBI3HJOANYZFVL3UVW55RCZ64H/ devel thread] floating the idea (April 2022)
+* initial [https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/CRMFB7JBI3HJOANYZFVL3UVW55RCZ64H/ devel thread] floating subpackaging idea (April 2022)
 == Benefit to Fedora ==
@@ Line 117: / Line 117: @@
 * Proposal owners:
 <!-- 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?-->
-** Update the gettext package in all Fedora branches including rawhide to add <code>Provides: gettext-tools</code> for forward compatibility [done for rawhide]
+** Add <code>Provides: gettext-runtime</code> to <code>gettext</code> [done in rawhide]
-** File bugs against packages that require gettext-tools or gettext-devel at runtime and hence need to be updated to depend on it.
+** Update the gettext package in rawhide to have the new gettext-runtime subpackage, pulled in by the gettext base package ([https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/gettext/pull-request/15 PR])
-** Before the Mass Rebuild:
+** File bugs against packages that could be changed to only need gettext-runtime at runtime.
-*** In Rawhide dist-git change all packages with <code>BuildRequires: gettext</code> to <code>BuildRequires: gettext-tools</code> (this affects about 1100+ Fedora source packages)
+** Subpackage envsubst as a mini-subpackage of gettext-runtime ([https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2068556 bz])
-*** Update the Rawhide gettext package to have the new gettext-tools subpackage, which pulls in the gettext base package ([https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/gettext/pull-request/15 PR])
-** Before branching, complete updating any remaining <code>Requires: gettext</code> in packages, which require gexttext-tools at runtime and weren't updated in time by their package maintainers.
 * Other developers: <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- 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?-->
-** Packagers who own packages that have a direct runtime dependency on gettext (estimated to be not more than 30 packages) and actually need gettext-tools have to change their <code>Requires: gettext</code> to the new <code>gettext-tools</code> subpackage in Rawhide (roughly around 10 Fedora packages). (This should be a safe change even if they really only actually require <code>gettext</code>.)
+** Packagers who own packages that have a direct runtime dependency on gettext (roughly 30 packages) and that actually only need gettext-runtime can change their <code>Requires: gettext</code> to the new <code>gettext-runtime</code> subpackage in Rawhide.
-* Release engineering:  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issue/10836 #10836] <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- Does this feature require coordination with release engineering (e.g. changes to installer image generation or update package delivery)?  Is a mass rebuild required?  include a link to the releng issue.
 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 -->
-** Just need to confirm that all BuildRequires changes have landed in dist-git ahead of the mass rebuild.
 * Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
@@ Line 144: / Line 141: @@
 == Upgrade/compatibility impact ==
 <!-- 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? -->
-On '''update''' both packages will get installed on systems having gettext. (''preinstalled'')
+Impact should be low: on upgrade both packages will get installed on systems that had gettext installed.
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
@@ Line 163: / Line 159: @@
 . What are the expected results of those actions?
 -->
-* Use copr repo: https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/suanand/gettext-runtime
 * Test upgrades from F36 to F37
 * Test minimal/default installs continue to work as expected
@@ Line 181: / Line 176: @@
   - Green has been scientifically proven to be the most relaxing color. The move to a default background color of green with green text will result in Fedora users being the most relaxed users of any operating system.
 -->
-User will see a new lighter gettext-runtime package and a gettext package. <br/>Many of the desktop/web apps/libraries continue using gettext. This subpackaging is also the recommended packaging by upstream and corresponds to Debian's gettext-base and gettext packages.
+User will see a new lighter gettext-runtime package and a gettext package. <br/>This subpackage separation also corresponds to the recommended packaging by upstream and Debian's gettext-base and gettext packages.
 == Dependencies ==
@@ Line 187: / Line 182: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-Packages which explicitly have a dependency on gettext need to check if they need programs provided by gettext-runtime, and if so they may update their dependency to "gettext-runtime" from gettext.
+Packages which explicitly have a dependency on gettext need to check if they only need programs provided by gettext-runtime, and if so they can update their dependency to <code>gettext-runtime</code> from <code>gettext</code>.
+Only about 33 Fedora packages currently require gettext (whereas almost 1200 packages have a buildtime dependency):
-Perhaps about ~26 packages require gettext and ~1115 packages have build dependency. <br/>Furthermore, gettext has a dependency to gettext-runtime.
+NsCDE backup-manager blivet-gui byobu debootstrap deepin-gettext-tools ecryptfs-utils fontconfig gambas3 gnome-books gnome-common grub2 ibus ibus-chewing kf5-ki18n libpst libvirt lokalize mate-common osmo photocollage playonlinux po-debconf po4a poedit redhat-lsb rpminspect sensible-utils sugar-toolkit-gtk3 translate-toolkit vdr vim-syntastic yast2-devtools
 == Contingency Plan ==
 <!-- 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: (What to do?  Who will do it?) Change owners will revert the relevant packages updated.  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Contingency mechanism: (What to do?  Who will do it?) Package owners to revert relevant packages.  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-** (<code>Provides: gettext-tools</code> could be put back in the base package if necessary to simplify the reverting)
 <!-- When is the last time the contingency mechanism can be put in place?  This will typically be the beta freeze. -->
 * Contingency deadline: Beta freeze  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
@@ Line 214: / Line 210: @@
 Release Notes are not required for initial draft of the Change Proposal but has to be completed by the Change Freeze.
 -->
-A gettext-runtime package has been added to gettext to separate out the gettext translation utilities that are not commonly used at runtime.
+gettext-runtime and gettext-envsubst subpackages have been added to gettext to separate out the programs needed at runtime, reducing the default install footprint.

Search

Changes/GettextRuntimeSubpackage: Difference between revisions