Debian Bug report logs - #265275
syslinux internally calls mcopy

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw@lug-owl.de>

To: submit@bugs.debian.org

Subject: syslinux internally calls mcopy

Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 15:44:21 +0200

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Package:	syslinux
Version:	2.10-1

Hi!

syslinux internally calls mcopy somewhere, but it's package doesn't
depend on mtools. Please add that dependancy(sp?).

Thanks, JBG

-- 
Jan-Benedict Glaw       jbglaw@lug-owl.de    . +49-172-7608481             _ O _
"Eine Freie Meinung in  einem Freien Kopf    | Gegen Zensur | Gegen Krieg  _ _ O
 fuer einen Freien Staat voll Freier Bürger" | im Internet! |   im Irak!   O O O
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Message #10 received at 265275@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Geert Stappers <stappers@debian.org>

To: 265275@bugs.debian.org, 265275-submitter@bugs.debian.org

Subject: syslinux 3.11 has 'Recommends:' on mtools.

Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 17:23:58 +0200

Hello Jan-Bendict,

You requested in #265275 for a 'Depends: mtools'.
Meanwhile there 'Recommends: mtools'

Can you agree with this comprise?
(is it okay that Bugreport #265275 gets closed?)


Cheers
Geert Stappers

Message #18 received at 265275-quiet@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw@lug-owl.de>

To: Geert Stappers <stappers@debian.org>, 265275-quiet@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#265275: syslinux 3.11 has 'Recommends:' on mtools.

Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 17:50:01 +0200

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Hi Geert!

On Sun, 2006-04-09 17:23:58 +0200, Geert Stappers <stappers@debian.org> wrote:
> You requested in #265275 for a 'Depends: mtools'.
> Meanwhile there 'Recommends: mtools'
> 
> Can you agree with this comprise?
> (is it okay that Bugreport #265275 gets closed?)

Well, I'd have to have a look at the sources. It's 1.5 years since I
opened that bug report.  After all, I expect a package to work after
being installed.

Looking around, this is in the NEWS file:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes in 2.02:
        * SYSLINUX: Security flaws have been found in the SYSLINUX
          installer when running setuid root.  Rewrite the SYSLINUX
          installer so it uses mtools instead.  It therefore now
          requires mtools (specifically mcopy and mattrib) to exist on
          your system, but it will not require root privileges and
          SHOULD NOT be setuid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking at mtools/syslinux.c, mtools and mattrib are called
internally, so this package is /useless/ without mtools being
installed. That is, I think `Recommends' isn't enough...

MfG, JBG

-- 
Jan-Benedict Glaw       jbglaw@lug-owl.de    . +49-172-7608481             _ O _
"Eine Freie Meinung in  einem Freien Kopf    | Gegen Zensur | Gegen Krieg  _ _ O
 für einen Freien Staat voll Freier Bürger"  | im Internet! |   im Irak!   O O O
ret = do_actions((curr | FREE_SPEECH) & ~(NEW_COPYRIGHT_LAW | DRM | TCPA));

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Message #23 received at 265275@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Daniel Baumann <daniel@debian.org>

To: 265275-submitter@bugs.debian.org

Cc: 265275@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: syslinux internally calls mcopy

Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:16:39 +0200

Hi,

agreed that since the mtools/syslinux.c is used and not the
unix/syslinu.c, the relation to mtools should be a depends rather than a
recommends.

But as long as the package is not splitted into syslinux and
syslinux-data (or similar), I'll wait with changing this relation to not
have a useless mtools dependency on system where I don't want that, or,
don't need syslinux but the other programs of the package.

Regards,
Daniel

-- 
Address:        Daniel Baumann, Burgunderstrasse 3, CH-4562 Biberist
Email:          daniel.baumann@panthera-systems.net
Internet:       http://people.panthera-systems.net/~daniel-baumann/

Message #31 received at 265275@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: "Roman Mamedov" <roman@rm.pp.ru>

To: 265275@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Should be "Depends"

Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:05:02 +0500

After "apt-get install syslinux":

# syslinux /dev/sdb1
sh: mcopy: command not found
syslinux: failed to create ldlinux.sys

I believe that "Recommends" is not enough at all. If the program does
not work without some other package, it should _depend_ on it, and not
"recommend".

Message #36 received at 265275-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Daniel Baumann <daniel@debian.org>

To: 265275-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: syslinux internally calls mcopy

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:19:04 +0200

syslinux won't get splitted, thus the recommends is ok, and recommends
are by default installed now a days, thus closing.

-- 
Address:        Daniel Baumann, Burgunderstrasse 3, CH-4562 Biberist
Email:          daniel.baumann@panthera-systems.net
Internet:       http://people.panthera-systems.net/~daniel-baumann/

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