[Bug 1768620] Re: removal_blacklist.cfg updates

[Brian Murray]

Thanks for bringing that bug report up. Unity should only be recommended
for uninstallation on systems without universe enabled which is a
rarity.

I verified this using the dist-upgrader tarball from bionic proposed:

2018-05-18 12:58:36,677 INFO release-upgrader version '18.04.18' started
....
2018-05-18 12:58:45,843 DEBUG Remove: account-plugin-facebook account-plugin-flickr account-plugin-google appmenu-qt5 apt-transport-https checkbox-converged checkbox-gui evolution-data-server-online-accounts gir1.2-totem-plparser-1.0 gnome-orca gnome-session-flashback gnupg-agent gnupg2 grilo-plugins-0.2-base hud imagemagick-common indicator-session kerneloops-daemon libabw-0.1-1v5 libbabeltrace-ctf1 libcurl3 libdata-alias-perl libdfu1 libdouble-conversion1v5 libgtk2-perl liblircclient0 libmagickcore-6.q16-2 libmagickcore-6.q16-2-extra libmagickwand-6.q16-2 libnss3-nssdb liboxideqt-qmlplugin liboxideqtcore0 liboxideqtquick0 libp11-kit-gnome-keyring libpango-perl libpeas-1.0-0-python3loader libperl5.22 libqt5feedback5 libqt5multimedia5 libqt5organizer5 libqt5positioning5 libqt5qml5 libqt5quick5 libqt5quicktest5 libqt5webkit5 libreoffice-gtk libsane libubuntugestures5 libubuntutoolkit5 libunity-webapps0 libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37-gtk2 onboard onboard-data perl-modules-5.22 pulseaudio-module-x11 pyotherside python3-aptdaemon.pkcompat qml-module-io-thp-pyotherside qml-module-qt-labs-folderlistmodel qml-module-qt-labs-settings qml-module-qtfeedback qml-module-qtgraphicaleffects qml-module-qtquick-layouts qml-module-qtquick-window2 qml-module-qtquick2 qml-module-qttest qml-module-ubuntu-components qml-module-ubuntu-layouts qml-module-ubuntu-onlineaccounts qml-module-ubuntu-performancemetrics qml-module-ubuntu-test qml-module-ubuntu-web qmlscene qtdeclarative5-accounts-plugin qtdeclarative5-dev-tools qtdeclarative5-qtquick2-plugin qtdeclarative5-test-plugin qtdeclarative5-ubuntu-ui-toolkit-plugin qtdeclarative5-unity-action-plugin rhythmbox-plugin-zeitgeist sessioninstaller signon-ui signon-ui-x11 system-config-printer-gnome ttf-ubuntu-font-family unity unity-asset-pool unity-control-center-faces unity-control-center-signon unity-scope-gdrive unity-webapps-common unity-webapps-qml unity-webapps-service webapp-container webbrowser-app xdiagnose xserver-xorg-input-evdev xserver-xorg-input-synaptics xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse


** Description changed:

  [Impact]
  The release-upgrader tarball includes a file, removal_blacklist.cfg, which lists packages which should never be removed. During the development of Ubuntu 18.04 this list was not updated and some packages which could be removed still exist in that file which could prevent the upgrader from calculating the upgrade. This would cause a bad experience for users as they will be stuck on the previous release of Ubuntu.
  
  [Test Case]
  To test the unity blacklist issue
- 1) Using an up to date Ubuntu 16.04 install restore the apt-clone file in bug 1768561
+ 1) Using an up to date Ubuntu 16.04 remove universe from sources.list
  2) Ensure /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades has Prompt=lts
  3) Run 'do-release-upgrade -d'
  4) Observe a failure to calculate the upgrade i.e. "ERROR Dist-upgrade failed: 'The package 'unity' is marked for removal but it is in the removal blacklist.'"
  
  Using the release upgrader tarball from -proposed the release upgrade
  should be successfully calculated.
  
  Additionally, testing the release upgrade process of a "regular" system
  from 16.04 to 18.04 and 17.10 to 18.04 is a good idea to ensure that the
  release upgrade process works.
  
  [Regression Potential]
  Syntax errors in removal_blacklist.cfg may cause the release upgrader crash so keep an eye out for those although it is just line removals.

** Tags removed: verification-needed-bionic
** Tags added: verification-done-bionic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1768620

Title:
  removal_blacklist.cfg updates

Status in ubuntu-release-upgrader package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in ubuntu-release-upgrader source package in Bionic:
  Fix Committed

Bug description:
  [Impact]
  The release-upgrader tarball includes a file, removal_blacklist.cfg, which lists packages which should never be removed. During the development of Ubuntu 18.04 this list was not updated and some packages which could be removed still exist in that file which could prevent the upgrader from calculating the upgrade. This would cause a bad experience for users as they will be stuck on the previous release of Ubuntu.

  [Test Case]
  To test the unity blacklist issue
  1) Using an up to date Ubuntu 16.04 remove universe from sources.list
  2) Ensure /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades has Prompt=lts
  3) Run 'do-release-upgrade -d'
  4) Observe a failure to calculate the upgrade i.e. "ERROR Dist-upgrade failed: 'The package 'unity' is marked for removal but it is in the removal blacklist.'"

  Using the release upgrader tarball from -proposed the release upgrade
  should be successfully calculated.

  Additionally, testing the release upgrade process of a "regular"
  system from 16.04 to 18.04 and 17.10 to 18.04 is a good idea to ensure
  that the release upgrade process works.

  [Regression Potential]
  Syntax errors in removal_blacklist.cfg may cause the release upgrader crash so keep an eye out for those although it is just line removals.

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