Bug 549324 – sys-apps/portage-2.2.18 does not function properly when PKGDIR is readonly for --getbinpkg, unmerge-backups, and downgrade-backup

• Product: Portage Development
• Status: CONFIRMED ---

[Description Adam Feldman 2015-05-13 02:48:14 UTC]

Portage attempts to use PKGDIR even when PKGDIR is mounted readonly if --getbinpkg is used, or if FEATURES="unmerge-backup" or FEATURES="downgrade-backup".

As far as expected behavior is concerned, I assume that the two FEATURES situations would require notifying the user of the issue.  Regarding --getbinpkg, in my mind, ideally, the binpkg should be stored in a temporary location, merged, and then removed from the temporary location.  This logic for --getbinpkg might not hold if you take a different view, that --getbinpkg is simply to get a remote binpkg, and then it would be used, but the fact that --getbinpkg currently means get pkg and use it, to me implies that the previous logic regarding a tempdir should hold.


To reproduce this scenario, mount PKGDIR as readonly by a means of your choice, in my case, nfs readonly, and then either emerge --getbinpkg foo  or FEATURES="unmerge-backup" emerge --depclean foo or FEATURES="downgrade-backup" emerge <foo-cur.ver

[Comment 1 Adam Feldman 2015-05-13 02:51:53 UTC]

URL is source of bug discovery

[Comment 2 Zac Medico 2015-05-13 17:33:51 UTC]

(In reply to NP-Hardass from comment #0)
> As far as expected behavior is concerned, I assume that the two FEATURES
> situations would require notifying the user of the issue.  Regarding
> --getbinpkg, in my mind, ideally, the binpkg should be stored in a temporary
> location, merged, and then removed from the temporary location.  This logic
> for --getbinpkg might not hold if you take a different view, that
> --getbinpkg is simply to get a remote binpkg, and then it would be used, but
> the fact that --getbinpkg currently means get pkg and use it, to me implies
> that the previous logic regarding a tempdir should hold.

We can add a setting that causes downloaded binary packages to be placed it a temporary directory and deleted after they have been installed. When PKGDIR is readonly, portage could suggest to enable this setting if it isn't already enabled.

[Comment 3 Michał Górny 2015-05-14 13:15:06 UTC]

(In reply to NP-Hardass from comment #0)
> Portage attempts to use PKGDIR even when PKGDIR is mounted readonly if
> --getbinpkg is used, or if FEATURES="unmerge-backup" or
> FEATURES="downgrade-backup".
> 
> As far as expected behavior is concerned, I assume that the two FEATURES
> situations would require notifying the user of the issue.  Regarding
> --getbinpkg, in my mind, ideally, the binpkg should be stored in a temporary
> location, merged, and then removed from the temporary location.  This logic
> for --getbinpkg might not hold if you take a different view, that
> --getbinpkg is simply to get a remote binpkg, and then it would be used, but
> the fact that --getbinpkg currently means get pkg and use it, to me implies
> that the previous logic regarding a tempdir should hold.

This is just plain stupid. If you want binary packages in a temporary directory, set PKGDIR to that directory instead of expecting Portage to do special magic to workaround invalid configuration.

[Comment 4 Adam Feldman 2015-05-14 19:46:45 UTC]

(In reply to Michał Górny from comment 3)
> 
> This is just plain stupid. If you want binary packages in a temporary
> directory, set PKGDIR to that directory instead of expecting Portage to do
> special magic to workaround invalid configuration.

I agree that the FEATURES are a misconfiguration. --getbinpkg allows fetching of packages from a remote location. In this scenario, being unable to use remote packages when a local pkgdir is not a not a misconfiguration issue, in my opinion, and the temp dir during the emerge process is a reasonable remedy.