Re: Is systemd-cryptsetup binary internal?

[Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek <zbyszek@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Sep 18, 2023 at 04:17:49PM +0200, Lennart Poettering wrote:
> On Mo, 18.09.23 15:22, mpan (systemdml-bfok4d2c@xxxxxxx) wrote:
> 
> > Hello,
> >
> >   I got redirected to here from #systemd on Libera. While responding to a
> > query from another person (not on #systemd), I came across an ambiguity. Any
> > answer I give, its validity would be uncertain. I wish to receive an
> > authoritative clarification.
> >
> >   There is systemd-cryptsetup binary in “/usr/lib/systemd/”. Its location
> > suggests it’s internal to systemd and not intended for user invocation.
> > However, it is also listed in manual as if it was something the user might
> > be concerned with. The manual even has a specific, separate, explicit
> > reference to systemd-cryptsetup page — though it’s shared with the
> > corresponding service and the binary itself isn’t described.
> 
> /usr/lib/systemd/ is indeed the place for internal binaries with
> unstable interfaces. But it's also the place where we put binaries
> that we don't typically expect users to call, because they are
> generally called via some well define .service unit or so only.
> 
> systemd-cryptsetup is one of the latter, we'd expect people to use
> this via crypttab mostly. However, the interface is nonetheless
> stable, it is a long-time part of systemd and so far we never broke
> interface and I see no reason we ever would. In fact it might be a
> candidate to move over to /usr/bin to make official, if there's
> sufficient request for that. (such a request should be made via github
> issue tracker)
> 
> >   Thanks in advance for indicating, if systemd-cryptsetup (the binary) is a
> > tool users may rely on.
> 
> Yes, absolutely.
> 
> The only reason when we might break things for you is when we one day
> move it from /usr/lib to /usr/bin, ;-)

Actually, this wouldn't be a breaking change. If we were to move it,
we'd most likely provide a compat symlink…

> Hence: the call interface is certainly stable, the location in that
> sense maybe not yet.

Yeah. If there's interest, we could certainly move it to /usr/bin.

Zbyszek