Bug 2042529

Hi Peter,

I tested the patches with v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a. And I have 2 questions about the patches.
Q1: If I edit /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud with the libvirt pkgs without the patches, then upgrade to libvirt-v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a and remove all libvirt pkgs, /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud did not remove.
Q2: In man manual of libvirt-guests, it says " libvirt-guests defines several variables to control service behavior.  The default value  of  these  variables
       can be overridden in: /etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests", but i did not find file "/etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests" and also could not find the setting in other files.

Would you help to check it please? Thanks a lot.

(In reply to yafu from comment #2)
> Hi Peter,
> 
> I tested the patches with v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a. And I have 2 questions
> about the patches.
> Q1: If I edit /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud with the libvirt pkgs without the
> patches, then upgrade to libvirt-v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a and remove all
> libvirt pkgs, /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud did not remove.

The main idea is (also outlined in the commit message) that files in /etc/sysconfig are owned by the system administrator and not by the package.

The scenario you are describing is actually also covered by the commit message and is a deliberate "upgrade" path. In case you modified the file, the new package will preserve your modifications, effectively putting you in control of the file. That's also the reason why it wasn't removed.

Thus:

1) if you didn't edit the files, they should be removed, defaults are taken from the new location (defaults should not change)
2) if you did edit the files, after upgrade they become ownership of the admin, thus are not removed
3) if you add new file to override config once the new version is installed that also will not be removed as it was added manually.

Additionally the reason for this backport is to eliminate the upgrade step in a subsequent rhel-9 upgrades where libvirt would be rebased, so ideally almost all users will not deal with the upgrade scenario ever in rhel-9.

> Q2: In man manual of libvirt-guests, it says " libvirt-guests defines
> several variables to control service behavior.  The default value  of  these
> variables
>        can be overridden in: /etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests", but i did not
> find file "/etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests" and also could not find the
> setting in other files.

You should create your own and put the overrides into that file.

(In reply to Peter Krempa from comment #3)
> (In reply to yafu from comment #2)
> > Hi Peter,
> > 
> > I tested the patches with v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a. And I have 2 questions
> > about the patches.
> > Q1: If I edit /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud with the libvirt pkgs without the
> > patches, then upgrade to libvirt-v8.0.0-118-g755b16d10a and remove all
> > libvirt pkgs, /etc/sysconfig/virtqemud did not remove.
> 
> The main idea is (also outlined in the commit message) that files in
> /etc/sysconfig are owned by the system administrator and not by the package.
> 
> The scenario you are describing is actually also covered by the commit
> message and is a deliberate "upgrade" path. In case you modified the file,
> the new package will preserve your modifications, effectively putting you in
> control of the file. That's also the reason why it wasn't removed.
> 
> Thus:
> 
> 1) if you didn't edit the files, they should be removed, defaults are taken
> from the new location (defaults should not change)
> 2) if you did edit the files, after upgrade they become ownership of the
> admin, thus are not removed
> 3) if you add new file to override config once the new version is installed
> that also will not be removed as it was added manually.
> 
> Additionally the reason for this backport is to eliminate the upgrade step
> in a subsequent rhel-9 upgrades where libvirt would be rebased, so ideally
> almost all users will not deal with the upgrade scenario ever in rhel-9.
> 
> > Q2: In man manual of libvirt-guests, it says " libvirt-guests defines
> > several variables to control service behavior.  The default value  of  these
> > variables
> >        can be overridden in: /etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests", but i did not
> > find file "/etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests" and also could not find the
> > setting in other files.
> 
> You should create your own and put the overrides into that file.

Got it. Thanks for your clarification.

Verified with libvirt-8.0.0-2.el9.x86_64.

Test steps:
1.Install libvirt*8.0.0-2* pkgs;

2.There is no config file in /etc/sysconfig/ dir:
#ls /etc/sysconfig/*virt*
ls: cannot access '/etc/sysconfig/*virt*': No such file or directory

3.Check the listen timeout option was moved to systemd config file:
# for drv in qemu interface network nodedev nwfilter secret storage proxy; do systemctl cat virt${drv}d | grep -i timeout; done
Environment=VIRTQEMUD_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTINTERFACED_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTNETWORKD_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTNODEDEVD_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTNWFILTERD_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTSECRETD_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTSTORAGED_ARGS="--timeout 120"
Environment=VIRTPROXYD_ARGS="--timeout 120"

4.Check all the sub-daemons are started with '--timeout 120' option:
(1)# for drv in qemu interface network nodedev nwfilter secret storage; do virsh connect ${drv}:///system; ps aux | grep -i virt${drv}d | grep -v grep ; done

root        1171  0.0  0.0 1513308 33948 ?       Ssl  Jan25   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtqemud --timeout 120

root        7021  0.0  0.0 1362264 23852 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtinterfaced --timeout 120

root        7049  0.0  0.0 1362176 25060 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtnetworkd --timeout 120

root        7125  0.1  0.0 1510164 26656 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtnodedevd --timeout 120

root        7155  0.0  0.0 1363172 23784 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtnwfilterd --timeout 120

root        7184  0.0  0.0 1362076 22008 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtsecretd --timeout 120

root        7214  0.0  0.0 1523688 37396 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtstoraged --timeout 120

(2)Also check virtproxyd after connecting with direct mode virsh client:
#ps aux | grep -i virtproxyd
root        7253  0.0  0.0 1362120 21648 ?       Ssl  21:29   0:00 /usr/sbin/virtproxyd --timeout 120

5.Check the man page of libvirt-guests:
#man 8 libvirt-guests
LIBVIRT-GUESTS(8)                                           Virtualization Support                                           LIBVIRT-GUESTS(8)

NAME
       libvirt-guests - suspend/resume running libvirt guests
...


6.Because libvirt-guests does not support modular daemon now, just test libvirt-guests in bug: 
Bug 1868537 - RFE: Support libvirt-guests.service working with libvirt modular daemon

Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.

For information on the advisory (new packages: libvirt), and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.

If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2022:2390

Absolute sheer bloody-minded idiocy.

/etc/sysconfig contains config files which should be owned and installed by various rpms, and which may then be edited just like a myriad of other files under /etc.

Just like so many pointless, annoying, destructive pain in the ass decisions by developers who hold their customers in contempt, this change serves absolutely no purpose and achieves nothing besides causing grief and annoyance for users & customers.

The libvirt packages should install a default /etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests, containing all the valid settings and comments and explanations and so on.

Now we have the situation where documentation all over the web says libvirt-guetss is configured via /etc/sysconfig/libvirt-guests, and yet when I look there on one of my el9 kvm hosts, the file is not there.

That makes me wonder whether the file has been deprecated and will be ignored if I do create it and put settings in there.
It cause grief and consternation, and I end up trawling the internet for clues as to what happened.

As the file is no longer there, it means i have to trawl through other servers or the interweb to check the syntax of the settings in the file or to check what the unmodified default settings are, rather than just look in the file on the server in question.

And do i find any documentation explaining why the file is gone?
No, not until I end up here.

Like so many other decisions made by idiots, this change is an absolute disgrace.

DO YOUR JOBS PROPERLY, AND STOP CHANGING AND BREAKING THINGS AND MAKING THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR NO REASON.

Note that this bug and corresponding backport of the upstream patches was done so that all rhel-9 releases have the same behaviour and the change doesn't happen during the lifecycle when libvirt will be rebased to a new upstream version which we do regularly.

If you wish to discuss the merit of the change feel free to contact the upstream project:

  https://www.libvirt.org/contact.html#mailing-lists

or file an upstream issue:

 https://www.libvirt.org/bugs.html#general-libvirt-bug-reports

or even file a proper rhel-9 bug report if you have reasons for it.

Before doing so ...

(In reply to John from comment #10)
> Absolute sheer bloody-minded idiocy.

[...]

> Like so many other decisions made by idiots, this change is an absolute
> disgrace.

... I **VERY STRONGLY** recommend you read the following document first:

  https://www.libvirt.org/governance.html#code-of-conduct

I don't remember ever agreeing to be bound by that code of conduct.

And such codes are nonsense anyway, when they're predicated on principles of respect, which developers clearly do NOT have for users/customers.
There is zero excuse for this change.
The reasons given are illogical nonsense.
It is just pure laziness, which will not persuade me to bow, scrape and grovel to developers, asking them to reconsider.

I'm happy to just make it very clear here, that this is yet another incredibly poor decision by lazy Linux developers, and that customers do notice these things.
So, clap clap clap & well done to all involved, instead of making things better, you've just made libvirt & linux in general worse. Brilliant.

I mean, what utter nonsense is this:
    "sysconfig files are owned by the admin of the host. They have the
    liberty to put anything they want into these files. This makes it
    difficult to provide different built-in defaults."

If there is ANY sense to that idiotic statement, then logically, I will now expect all other packages to immediately cease installing ANYTHING under /etc/
So we can expect /etc/ to be empty in RHEL10 can we?

How are the files under /etc/sysconfig/ really any different to all the other config files under /etc/?
They're no different - except they often start with everything commented out, so default settings are used.

It's not hard. Just show some basic consideration and respect for your users, and leave the sysconfig file there.