Need information where tests can be found for sysvinit-utils Debian package

[Schroeder, Stefan]

Hi there, this is an email to all you Debian representatives in this thread,

We, the CIP project (Civil Infrastructure Project) have been discussing options to improve the test case coverage of a number of Debian packages.

This is part of our effort to get the CIP base system - which is based on Debian - certified according to the industrial cybersecurity standard IEC-62443.

We have now discussed the lack of tests in some packages with the Alpha-Omega project, which is willing to provide funding (!) for the creation of test cases for Debian packages.

What do you suggest: 

How would we most effectively go about finding OSS developers/teams/contractors that would be willing to implement tests upstream or within the Debian ecosystem?

Announcements in mailing lists? X? LinkedIn? Instagram? DebConf?

Looking forward to your ideas.

With best regards,
Stefan Schroeder

Siemens Mobility GmbH

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hindley <mark at hindley.org.uk> 
Sent: Montag, 28. Oktober 2024 19:48
To: Ian Jackson <ijackson at chiark.greenend.org.uk>
Cc: Sai.Sathujoda at toshiba-tsip.com; debian-init-diversity at chiark.greenend.org.uk; orv at debian.org; kilobyte at debian.org; katolaz at freaknet.org; leepen at debian.org; kazuhiro3.hayashi at toshiba.co.jp; dinesh.kumar at toshiba-tsip.com; Shivanand.Kunijadar at toshiba-tsip.com; Adithya.Balakumar at toshiba-tsip.com; Schroeder, Stefan (SMO RI R&D F SEC) <stefan.ss.schroeder at siemens.com>; Zaiba.Sanglikar at toshiba-tsip.com
Subject: Re: Need information where tests can be found for sysvinit-utils Debian package

On Mon, Oct 28, 2024 at 10:35:37AM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> I'm sure addition of (reliable) autopkgtests would be very welcome.

Absolutely!
 
> Note that because of its position as a central service mansger, 
> sysvinit can be tested by autopkgtests *of other packages*.
> This is probably part of a good testing strategy, because it would 
> exercise enough of sysvinit to check that those service packages 
> function correctly.
> 
> I haven't done a search to see if any existing pakages have such 
> tests.  Also IDK if such tests would work with ci.d.n because I'm sure 
> the default images use systemd and the test's dependencies would have 
> to demand sysvinit and that would involve switching the test image's 
> init system.

That is certainly the case at the moment. At the moment systemd is installed in the ci.d.n base images. Since version 256.1-1, systemd conflicts with sysv-rc, insserv and startpar and systemd prerm refuses installation. That means that most autopkgtests for non-systemd init related packages fail in the setup on ci.d.n. See insserv, openrc and startpar. It is probable that sysvinit-core would fail similarly.

I would love to see this resolved, but the way to achieve that is not clear to me.

> Probably, it would be easiest to start by adding tests for basic 
> functionality, and startup of important packages in the sysvinit 
> package.

Certainly, autopkgtests to run locally are still useful.

Thanks

Mark