Changes/tzdata-minimal

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Change Proposal Name

tzdata-minimal

Summary

Split the tzdata package into two parts - tzdata and tzdata-minimal. tzdata will require tzdata-minimal. tzdata-minimal provides the minimal files needed to support UTC on containers.

Owner

• Name: Patsy Griffin (Franklin)
• Email: patsy@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: 35
• Last updated: 2021-06-28
• FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

This is the first step towards providing support for a minimal, UTC only version of tzdata for containers. The tzdata-minimal package will be a stand-alone, UTC only subset of tzdata. The tzdata package will require tzdata-minimal.

With this framework in place, other packages can develop code to detect a minimal tzdata installation. These packages will also need to provide appropriate messages when users request timezone information not provided by tzdata-minimal.

Feedback

We have had requests for this functionality in order to support minimal container installations. Currently some container kickstart installations already remove most of the timezone information provided by tzdata, leaving only UTC support available.

Both the glibc and python teams are aware of this proposed change. This change does not currently require changes in their code. The goal is for those packages that currently require tzdata as part of their build or install, move towards recommending tzdata instead.

Benefit to Fedora

This change will reduce the size of base container installations.

Scope

• Proposal owners: Implement the proposal.

• Other developers: Developers need to ensure that their packages continue to build and install with the new split tzdata/tzdata-minimal package changes.

• Release engineering: The tzdata maintainer will ensure that the package builds and passes all tests on F35.

#Releng issue number

• Policies and guidelines: The policies and guidelines do not need to be updated.

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

• Alignment with Objectives: This change is directly related to container minimization goals.

Upgrade/compatibility impact

The only visible change will be a new package tzdata-minimal required by tzdata.

How To Test

Observe the current tzdata packages installed: #rpm -qa | grep tzdata tzdata-2021a-1.fc34.noarch tzdata-java-2021a-1.fc34.noarch

1. dnf upgrade tzdata - Observe the new dependency on tzdata-minimal

Review the newly installed tzdata packages, including tzdata-minimal: #rpm -qa | grep tzdata tzdata-java-2021a-1.fc34.noarch tzdata-minimal-2021a-2.fc35.noarch tzdata-2021a-2.fc35.noarch

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)