Debian Bug report logs - #857596
steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

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

From: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

To: submit <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2017 22:02:06 -0400

Source: steam
Version: 1.0.0.54-2
Severity: important

Valve has their own official repo and Steam packages.

Below I've pasted the contents of their steam-launcher_1.0.0.54_all.deb
As you can see, it ships conflicting files with Debian (and Ubuntu
16.10+)'s steam and steam-devices binaries.

Bug originally reported at https://launchpad.net/bugs/1638463

Valve distribution info
-------------------------------
I got the package from
http://repo.steampowered.com/steam/pool/steam/s/steam/

Confusingly, the same file is also distributed as
http://media.steampowered.com/client/installer/steam.deb (but it's
still the steam-launcher package)
which is linked to from https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux

The distributed sources.list has this content:
deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://repo.steampowered.com/steam/ precise steam

Ideas for Solutions
--------------------------
I think this will need coordination with the Valve packager to resolve this.

1. Maybe Valve could adopt the same package split as the Debian package.
For Valve's purposes, they might not like having more than one package
to distribute though.

2. Maybe the Debian package could be unsplit and renamed to
steam-launcher to match what Valve is distributing.

File List
-----------
/usr/bin/steamdeps
/usr/bin/steam
/usr/lib/steam/bootstraplinux_ubuntu12_32.tar.xz
/usr/share/applications/steam.desktop
/usr/share/pixmaps/steam.png
/usr/share/pixmaps/steam_tray_mono.png
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/steam.png
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/steam.png
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/24x24/apps/steam.png
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/steam.png
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/steam.png
/usr/share/man/man6/steam.6.gz
/usr/share/doc/steam-launcher/changelog.gz
/usr/share/doc/steam-launcher/copyright
/usr/share/doc/steam/README
/usr/share/doc/steam/steam_install_agreement.txt.gz
/lib/udev/rules.d/60-HTC-Vive-perms.rules
/lib/udev/rules.d/99-steam-controller-perms.rules
/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/steam.gpg
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/steam.list

Thanks,
Jeremy Bicha

Message #10 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Dominik George <nik@naturalnet.de>

To: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2017 03:17:11 +0100

> Ideas for Solutions
> --------------------------
> I think this will need coordination with the Valve packager to resolve this.
> 
> 1. Maybe Valve could adopt the same package split as the Debian package.
> For Valve's purposes, they might not like having more than one package
> to distribute though.
> 
> 2. Maybe the Debian package could be unsplit and renamed to
> steam-launcher to match what Valve is distributing.

3. Any package out there might ship any file also shipped in any Debian package, so don't do anything. This is not a bug.

Message #15 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

To: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

Cc: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2017 15:41:47 -0400

Michael,

Would you be willing to move the udev rules into the main 'steam'
package instead of the separate 'steam-devices' package?

I believe Valve really likes the idea of having an easy single .deb on
their homepage for people to install, but I don't think that's
compatible with the package split like this.

I'd really like to fix this problem before Ubuntu 17.04 is released
(just over 3 weeks away). I am already working with Valve on this
issue. Please respond so that your input is included.

Thanks,
Jeremy Bicha

Message #20 received at 857596-close@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

To: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

Cc: 857596-close@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 13:59:22 -0400

On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 3:41 PM, Jeremy Bicha wrote:
> Would you be willing to move the udev rules into the main 'steam'
> package instead of the separate 'steam-devices' package?

No, the right approach here is for Valve to add a breaks,replaces
clause to their control file.

Best wishes,
Mike

Message #25 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

To: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

Cc: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 14:14:51 -0400

On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 1:59 PM, Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org> wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 3:41 PM, Jeremy Bicha wrote:
>> Would you be willing to move the udev rules into the main 'steam'
>> package instead of the separate 'steam-devices' package?
>
> No, the right approach here is for Valve to add a breaks,replaces
> clause to their control file.

1. Valve releases a new version, let's say 1.0.0.55.
2. The next day, a user decides to install Steam from Valve's website
since Debian doesn't have the new version yet (or whatever reason).
3. Eventually, Debian testing does get 1.0.0.55-1 which is newer than
Valve's version. Suddenly, the user's Steam Controller won't work any
more because the udev rules are no longer installed.

Or another illustration:
1. A user is using SteamOS which is based on Debian, and for whatever
reason the user upgrades it to a new enough Debian version resulting
in the same problem with Debian's non-free 'steam' package breaking
the Steam controller support without manual action by the user.

I understand there is a benefit to having to having the udev rules in
a separate package. But I don't believe it's a requirement of Debian
policy. Nor am I aware of large demand for those udev rules without
having Steam installed.

Therefore, in Ubuntu, I will probably merge the udev rules into the
steam package. It's part of a compromise: I'm adjusting Ubuntu's
packaging and helping Valve adjust theirs to allow both to co-exist.

Thanks,
Jeremy

Message #30 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

To: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

Cc: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 14:23:33 -0400

On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 2:14 PM, Jeremy Bicha wrote:
> 1. Valve releases a new version, let's say 1.0.0.55.
> 2. The next day, a user decides to install Steam from Valve's website
> since Debian doesn't have the new version yet (or whatever reason).
> 3. Eventually, Debian testing does get 1.0.0.55-1 which is newer than
> Valve's version. Suddenly, the user's Steam Controller won't work any
> more because the udev rules are no longer installed.

They should Breaks both steam and steam-devices, that way if the user
really wanted to switch to Valve's they avert this weird leap
frogging.

Best wishes,
Mike

Message #35 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

To: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

Cc: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 14:45:38 -0400

On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 2:23 PM, Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org> wrote:
> They should Breaks both steam and steam-devices, that way if the user
> really wanted to switch to Valve's they avert this weird leap
> frogging.

It sounds like you're saying that Valve's package ought to have a
different binary package name.

That is one way to resolve this, but then there are two different
Steam packages in the Software app (installed by default in Debian
GNOME stretch; KDE has a similar app). One installed and one not
installed which feels confusing to me.

I'm also having trouble thinking of any other example where we want a
developer to ship their app with a different name than how it's
packaged in Debian.

Jeremy

Message #40 received at 857596@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@debian.org>

To: Jeremy Bicha <jbicha@ubuntu.com>

Cc: 857596@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: steam: Ships same files as Valve's official packages with different package name

Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 14:52:22 -0400

On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 2:45 PM, Jeremy Bicha wrote:
>> They should Breaks both steam and steam-devices, that way if the user
>> really wanted to switch to Valve's they avert this weird leap
>> frogging.
>
> It sounds like you're saying that Valve's package ought to have a
> different binary package name.

steam-launcher is already named differently?

Best wishes,
Mike

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