[Bug 2091657] Re: systemd-localed requires read-only-etc hacks for /etc/vconsole.conf and /etc/locale.conf

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

This bug was fixed in the package systemd - 255.4-1ubuntu8.6

---------------
systemd (255.4-1ubuntu8.6) noble; urgency=medium

  * stub: add magic cmdline option to force EFI handover
    (LP: #2088069)
  * localed: use ubuntu core hack for locale.conf and vconsole.conf
    (LP: #2091657)

 -- Nick Rosbrook <enr0n at ubuntu.com>  Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:18:31 -0500

** Changed in: systemd (Ubuntu Noble)
       Status: Fix Committed => Fix Released

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Title:
  systemd-localed requires read-only-etc hacks for /etc/vconsole.conf
  and /etc/locale.conf

Status in systemd package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in systemd source package in Noble:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Impact]

  Ubuntu Core has a read-only /etc, but a writable partition in
  /etc/writable. In some versions of Ubuntu, the systemd package ships a
  patch to follow symlinks from /etc/ -> /etc/writable, e.g. for files
  like /etc/locale.conf.

  In Core24, this patch needs to be expanded for /etc/locale.conf and
  /etc/vconsole.conf in systemd-localed.

  [Test Plan]

  1. On a pristine Ubuntu Core system, run "localectl status". Verify
  that the system locale is set to the default (seems to be "C.UTF-8"
  based on the current core24 snap).

  2. Modify the system locale by running "localectl set-locale
  LANG=en_AU.UTF-8". The command should complete without error.

  3. Check that the locale has changed by running "localectl status".

  4. Check that the locale has been saved to /etc/locale.conf

  5. Reboot the system, and run "localectl status" again to check that
  the change has persisted.

  [Where problems could occur]

  This hack is designed to be a no-op in non-Ubuntu Core cases. I.e.,
  when /etc/writable does not exist or does not have a link for the
  given path in etc, the original path is used.

  As is evident by the ever-expanding nature of this patch, this is not
  a complete solution. It's possible that more cases will be found where
  this hack needs to be applied.

  [Other information]

  This patch is not carried in supported releases newer than Noble.
  While this patch is far from ideal, expanding this hack has become the
  go-to for existing stable releases.

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