Re: [gentoo-dev] newsitem: important fstab update

[Roy Bamford]

On 2016.10.25 22:52, Ian Stakenvicius wrote:
> On 25/10/16 05:12 PM, Michał Górny wrote:
> > On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 12:01:06 -0500
> > William Hubbs <williamh@g.o> wrote:
> >
> >> Title: Inportant fstab update
> >> Author: William Hubbs <williamh@g.o>
> >> Content-Type: text/plain
> >> Posted: 2016-10-28
> >> Revision: 1
> >> News-Item-Format: 1.0
> >>
> >> If you are not using /dev/disk/by-* paths in fstab, you do not need
> to
> >> take any action for this news item.
> >>
> >> If you are, it is very critical that you update fstab AS SOON AS
> >> POSSIBLE. Your system will become unbootable in the future if you
> do
> >> not  do so.
> >
> > I don't think this is a good way to start any text. You should start
> > with a short introduction on what's happening, when and how.
> >
> > Right now the news item sounds like the world is going to suddenly
> fall
> > apart for no specific reason. Reading it, I don't know what's
> changing,
> > and how to check if it impacts me already (i.e. if it's 'do not
> > reboot' kind of problem) and if it will impact me at all.
> >
> >> You need to replace the /dev/disk/by-* paths in your fstab with the
> >> equivalent information from the output of the blkid utility.
> >
> > This is at least unclear, if not misguiding. I read it as 'blkid
> will
> > give you fs info'. However, you're not telling me which of those
> > information I can use and how. I should also point out that blkid
> > supports multiple output formats.
> >
> > I think it would be better if you explicitly listed the thingies
> > supported by mount(1).
> >
>
> Reading mgorny's response, I'm wondering if a news item really makes
> any sense at all for this.  What's being done here is essentially a
> warning/recommendation for users to act so they don't run into a
> problem that's sort-of already there (at least in ~arch)...
>
> Personally I'd rather see us go the other way, ensure udev settles
> before localmount runs, and maybe ewarn if /dev/disk/by-* is in fstab
> or something.  Leave the migration away from these paths to general
> education of system setup, since they technically are valid, just not
> ideal.
>
>
+1

Add udev-settle now.
Have an advisory news item that says why its been done and what 
users can do if they don't like it or don't need it, and what will happen
long term.
At the same time, depreciate the use of udev symlinks in fstab.

Some time later, remove udev-settle and have another news item.
By now, users will have reacted to the first news item or sympathy 
can be minimal.
 
In the interim, nothing should break because a news item was not
read and acted on immediately. 

That's the important bit ... nothing breaks on user systems.

-- 
Regards,

Roy Bamford
(Neddyseagoon) a member of
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