[PR PATCH] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[PR PATCH] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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There is a new pull request by olafmersmann against master on the void-packages repository

https://github.com/olafmersmann/void-packages feat_localtime
https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803

shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime
Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, this commit resolves the
symlink, creates the required file below /usr/share/zoneinfo and then
symlinks it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html


A patch file from https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803.patch is attached

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From ece1ce5c598f6b2e6899c4969918c8e9aba4c54f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Olaf Mersmann <olafm@p-value.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2021 09:24:40 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, this commit resolves the
symlink, creates the required file below /usr/share/zoneinfo and then
symlinks it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html
---
 common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++----
 1 file changed, 23 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index 8646d758549..9b4f5ca94a8 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -106,11 +106,30 @@ chroot_prepare() {
         msg_error "Bootstrap not installed in $XBPS_MASTERDIR, can't continue.\n"
     fi
 
-    # Create some required files.
-    if [ -f /etc/localtime ]; then
-        cp -f /etc/localtime $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc
+    # Setup timezone information
+    #
+    # According to https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html:
+    #
+    #   Because the timezone identifier is extracted from the symlink target
+    #   name of /etc/localtime, this file may not be a normal file or hardlink.
+    #
+    # So we cannot /etc/localtime into $XBPS_MASTERDIR. Instead, copy over 
+    # the target of the link, creating any required directories along the way.
+    local tzfile=""
+    if [ -h /etc/localtime ]; then
+        tzfile=$(readlink -f /etc/localtime)
     elif [ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC ]; then
-        cp -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
+        tzfile=/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC
+    else
+        # Should never happen.
+        msg_warn "No local timezone configuration file created."
+    fi
+    # If tzfile exists, create parent directory, copy file and link to 
+    # /etc/localtime
+    if [ -f "$tzfile" ] ; then
+        mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$(dirname $tzfile)
+        cp /etc/localtime $XBPS_MASTERDIR/$tzfile
+        ln -sf ../$tzfile $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
     fi
 
     for f in dev sys proc host boot; do

Re: [PR REVIEW] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[sgn]

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New review comment by sgn on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#discussion_r554553328

Comment:
I would argue to always copy `/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC` if it's exist to make the build maximum reproducible.

Re: [PR REVIEW] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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New review comment by olafmersmann on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#discussion_r554581328

Comment:
I agree, but kept the original logic for a first draft. Not sure if there are any side effects I haven't thought of if localtime is always UTC. If there are no objections, I'll simplify the patch to always set localtime to UTC inside the chroot.

Re: [PR PATCH] [Updated] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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There is an updated pull request by olafmersmann against master on the void-packages repository

https://github.com/olafmersmann/void-packages feat_localtime
https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803

shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime
Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, this commit resolves the
symlink, creates the required file below /usr/share/zoneinfo and then
symlinks it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html


A patch file from https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803.patch is attached

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From 2b4d70873b67d816c050395345f969b520654f07 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Olaf Mersmann <olafm@p-value.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2021 09:24:40 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, copy the zoneinfo for UTC
into the chroot and then symlink it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html
---
 common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh | 22 +++++++++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index 8646d758549..4ea4280b401 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -106,11 +106,23 @@ chroot_prepare() {
         msg_error "Bootstrap not installed in $XBPS_MASTERDIR, can't continue.\n"
     fi
 
-    # Create some required files.
-    if [ -f /etc/localtime ]; then
-        cp -f /etc/localtime $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc
-    elif [ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC ]; then
-        cp -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
+    # Setup timezone information
+    #
+    # According to https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html:
+    #
+    #   Because the timezone identifier is extracted from the symlink target
+    #   name of /etc/localtime, this file may not be a normal file or hardlink.
+    #
+    # So we cannot just copy /etc/localtime into $XBPS_MASTERDIR. Instead, copy
+    # over the zoneinfo for UTC and create the /etc/localtime symlink. 
+    if [ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC ]; then
+        tzfile=/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC
+        mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/usr/share/zoneinfo
+        cp /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC
+        ln -sf ../usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
+    else
+        # Should never happen.
+        msg_warn "No local timezone configuration file created."
     fi
 
     for f in dev sys proc host boot; do

Re: shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[ahesford]

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New comment by ahesford on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#issuecomment-760208756

Comment:
Freedesktop requirements for systemd should not be the governing standard here. It also seems to me that R is doing the wrong thing by demanding that `/etc/localtime` be a symlink and reading the target to determine a timezone. For example, I have `/etc/localtime -> /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/New_York`, but there are a ton of equivalent time zones in `/usr/share/zoneinfo`; for example, `US/Eastern`, `EST5EDT`.

This doesn't mean that `/usr/share/zoneinfo` shouldn't be populated in the masterdir, but are there compelling reasons beyond R breaking because it makes fragile assumptions? R can determine zone offset programmatically or, in the shell, invoke `date +"%z"` or `date "+%Z"` to more reliably grab the information.

Re: [PR REVIEW] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[ahesford]

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New review comment by ahesford on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#discussion_r557418410

Comment:
Maybe shorten the explanation to
> Some software expects /etc/localtime to be a symbolic link it can read to determine the name of the time zone, so set up the expected link structure.

Re: [PR REVIEW] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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New review comment by olafmersmann on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#discussion_r557750270

Comment:
Done.

Re: shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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New comment by olafmersmann on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#issuecomment-760530105

Comment:
Tally:
* for UTC: sgn, abenson, duncaen
* for local TZ: feranur, ericonr(?)

Re: [PR PATCH] [Updated] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 751 bytes --]

There is an updated pull request by olafmersmann against master on the void-packages repository

https://github.com/olafmersmann/void-packages feat_localtime
https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803

shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime
Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, this commit resolves the
symlink, creates the required file below /usr/share/zoneinfo and then
symlinks it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html


A patch file from https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803.patch is attached

[-- Warning: decoded text below may be mangled, UTF-8 assumed --]
[-- Attachment #2: github-pr-feat_localtime-27803.patch --]
[-- Type: text/x-diff, Size: 1733 bytes --]

From 3b39825a13dc6909200ff0d27096c60b3760c067 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Olaf Mersmann <olafm@p-value.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2021 09:24:40 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot. Some
software expects /etc/localtime to be a symbolic link it can read to
determine the name of the time zone, so set up the expected link
structure.
---
 common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh | 16 +++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index 8646d758549..73b98bc7200 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -106,11 +106,17 @@ chroot_prepare() {
         msg_error "Bootstrap not installed in $XBPS_MASTERDIR, can't continue.\n"
     fi
 
-    # Create some required files.
-    if [ -f /etc/localtime ]; then
-        cp -f /etc/localtime $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc
-    elif [ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC ]; then
-        cp -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
+    # Some software expects /etc/localtime to be a symbolic link it can read to
+    # determine the name of the time zone, so set up the expected link
+    # structure.
+    if [ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC ]; then
+        tzfile=/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC
+        mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/usr/share/zoneinfo
+        cp /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC
+        ln -sf ../usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC $XBPS_MASTERDIR/etc/localtime
+    else
+        # Should never happen.
+        msg_warn "No local timezone configuration file created."
     fi
 
     for f in dev sys proc host boot; do

Re: shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[olafmersmann]

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New comment by olafmersmann on void-packages repository

https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803#issuecomment-760530105

Comment:
Tally:
* for UTC: sgn, abenson, duncaen, ahesford
* for local TZ: feranur, ericonr

Re: [PR PATCH] [Merged]: shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime

[ericonr]

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There's a merged pull request on the void-packages repository

shutils/chroot.sh: create symlink for /etc/localtime
https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/27803

Description:
Currently /etc/localtime is copied from the host to the chroot.
According to [1] /etc/localtime should be a symlink and some R checks
fail because it is not. Instead of copying, this commit resolves the
symlink, creates the required file below /usr/share/zoneinfo and then
symlinks it to /etc/localtime inside the chroot.

[1]: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/localtime.html