Bug 789435 – >=sys-libs/glibc-2.26: obsolete check for 'files' provider.

• Product: Gentoo Linux
• Status: RESOLVED FIXED

[Description Matt J 2021-05-11 10:11:10 UTC]

sys-libs/glibc includes a check for a 'files' provider for each database in nsswitch.conf in the ebuild.[1]

This was intended to prevent login issues (etc.) when glibc-2.26 removed the 'compat' provider (which was re-added in glibc-2.27).

This check is faulty for the following reasons:

1. It does not check for the provider that actually changed at the time.[2]
2. It should be ensuring that there is more than just a 'compat' provider.
3. Not having a 'files' provider is a valid configuration, which is even recommended on the wiki for LDAP/Domain managed computers.[3]
4. This check was made obsolete with glibc-2.27.[2]

With this being the case, the check should be removed so that valid nsswitch.conf values do not cause build failures when glibc is updated.

[1]: https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/tree/sys-libs/glibc/glibc-2.33.ebuild#n649
[2]: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Glibc_2.26_porting_notes/nsswitch.conf_in_glibc-2.26
[3]: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Kerberos_Windows_Interoperability

I will submit a PR to implement this.

[Comment 1 Larry the Git Cow 2021-05-11 17:04:54 UTC]

The bug has been closed via the following commit(s):

https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/commit/?id=b262745c3362ed866f77973d17af64e2a205488e

commit b262745c3362ed866f77973d17af64e2a205488e
Author:     Matt Jolly <[e-mail]>
AuthorDate: 2021-05-11 10:36:10 +0000
Commit:     Sergei Trofimovich <[e-mail]>
CommitDate: 2021-05-11 17:04:51 +0000

    sys-libs/glibc: Remove check for 'files' provider.
    
    The check for a files provider breaks on certain valid nsswitch.conf
    configurations. As the check was only required for =sys-libs/glibc-2.26
    it has been removed.
    
    Closes: https://bugs.gentoo.org/789435
    Package-Manager: Portage-3.0.16, Repoman-3.0.2
    Signed-off-by: Matt Jolly <[e-mail]>
    Closes: https://github.com/gentoo/gentoo/pull/20769
    Signed-off-by: Sergei Trofimovich <[e-mail]>

 sys-libs/glibc/glibc-2.33.ebuild | 15 ---------------
 sys-libs/glibc/glibc-9999.ebuild | 15 ---------------
 2 files changed, 30 deletions(-)