Critical path package

Summary

The critical path defines a set of packages that require special care when updating in rawhide, branched and exiting Fedora releases.

Background

The critical path was proposed and defined as part of a FAD. For background information, see the Critical Path Packages Proposal.

Scope

Packages within the critical path are required to perform the most fundamental actions on a system. Those actions include:

• graphical network install
• post-install booting
• decrypt encrypted filesystems
• graphics
• login
• networking
• get updates
• minimal buildroot
• compose new trees
• compose live

Implementation

A set of groups are defined in the comps.xml file to include packages required for the critical use cases listed above. Since package dependencies change regularly, the comps.xml groups are then used to dynamically generate the list of packages.

The critical path package groups in comps.xml are listed below:

@core
@critical-path-base
@critical-path-gnome
@critical-path-apps
@critical-path-kde
@critical-path-lxde
@critical-path-xfce

More information on comps.xml is available at How_to_use_and_edit_comps.xml_for_package_groups.

Maintainer Responsibilities

FIXME
This section needs to be updated.

If a package is added to the critical path list as a result of normal package dependency the package maintainer will be notified through direct email and the extra processes they have to go through. (IS THIS TRUE)

If they do not wish to maintain the packages with these extra processes then they have to orphan the package. A new maintainer will need to be found.

Tester Responsibilities

The proventesters FAS group is responsible for ensuring minimal disruption to the critical actions listed above. If you would like to join proventesters, check out QA/JoinProvenTesters. General test instructions for proventesters is available at User:Adamwill/Draft_proventesters_instructions.

Where can I find the critical path?

The critical path package list is generated daily during the mash process for both rawhide and branched.

The most recent list of critical path packages are available at:

• Branched (aka Fedora 42)
• Rawhide - http://kojipkgs.fedoraproject.org/mash/rawhide-20241225/logs/critpath.txt