DRAFT: Change to Systemd Packaging Guidelines - Was Re: Services that shouldn't be started in the first place

["Gerald B. Cox" <gbcox@xxxxxx>]

I opened a fecso ticket here:  https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/1918

and it was suggested it would be better handled via FPC - so I've created a draft.

I would appreciate feedback before I created the FPC ticket. 

Adding the following paragraph to the Hardware Activation section:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Gbcox/Packaging:Systemd#Hardware_activation

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Enabling of a service by default must not be done unless provisions have been made to ensure the required hardware actually exists; otherwise the service can fail which will result in systemd entering a degraded state. This can be accomplished by utilizing the conditional functionality of systemd. If the capability to inquire about the specific condition does not exist, you must request it be created and provide the necessary criteria. If it is not possible to create a specific conditional systemd validation, you may request an exception to this guideline until such time the conditional functionality can be created.

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Some history here:

On Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 9:33 AM, Gerald B. Cox <gbcox@xxxxxx> wrote:

This isn't related to a service, but is throwing out an spurious error message.  There is a patch but it hasn't made it's way

yet into the Fedora kernel: 

rt_cmos registration error:  rhbz#1568276

Basically an error is being thrown because your system doesn't have battery backup.  To their credit, it was quickly identified

and patched.  We now just have to wait for the patch to be applied.

However these:

The mcelog.service message is associated with rhbz#1166978

The dbxtool.service message is associated with rhbz#1508808

The rngd.service message is associated with rhbz#1490632

 

At least for me are the result of services being enabled by default, that should never have been enabled for my

environment.

mcelog:  I am using an AMD processor.  This service only applies to Intel.

dbxtool:  I am not using SecureBoot.  This service only applies to machines using SecureBoot.

rngd:  I am not using a machine that has a hardware RNG generator

Again, if we are apparently so concerned about a streamlined user experience, why are we

starting processes that aren't needed - and in fact are not appropriate for a particular environment,

and then throwing out error messages which are spurious and confusing?

In my case, this caused me to spend hours individually tracking down all these error messages

to find out that there is nothing wrong with my environment.  Instead the issue is these services

are inappropriately started for EVERYBODY - and in one case have been languishing for years.

Last time I checked, Fedora wasn't an Intel only, SecureBoot only, mandatory hardware RNG generator

environment.  

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