SOLVED: Should /etc/os-release contain debian as "related" OS, i.e. ID_LIKE=ubuntu debian?

[ilwegesk]

I wanted to have a look at KDE development and tried to setup the dev environment via ./kdesrc-build --initial-setup (as described here).

This complains that linuxmint is not supported. However, it does support debian and AFAIK this should be kind of compatible to mint in therms of package names to be installed (right?).

The installer checks /etc/os-release and the ID and ID_LIKE entries.

Mint has in /etc/os-release:

Code: Select all

VERSION="20.3 (Una)"
ID=linuxmint
ID_LIKE=ubuntu
#...

I now learned that the ID_LIKE entry can actually contain a "space-separated list of operating system identifiers" (see here and here).

So, when I manually add debian there, everything works:

Code: Select all

VERSION="20.3 (Una)"
ID=linuxmint
ID_LIKE=ubuntu debian
#...

My questions:

1. Is it correct that Linux Mint is "like" debian (in terms of this field)?
2. If yes, shouldn't this be included there?
3. If yes, where's the place to suggest such a change? I browsed the repos at https://github.com/linuxmint but it's not obvious to me which one contains usr/lib/os-release.
4. Offtopic: is there a CPE_NAME for Linux Mint that could be included there?

In fact, I remember that this happened to me with some other software before (some older docker version?) that debian was supported by the setup script, but mint lacked the reference to it.

[rene]

From e.g. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1280557 ... os-release it appears that a stock Ubuntu 20.04 os-release has ID_LIKE=debian and I'd say that this is likely to say that, yes, Mint 20.x should or at least could have included that. There might of course be reasons to not do so I'm unaware of and I'd say this would need to be dealt with by the primary developer, at least, someone that knows if there's a reason why it would not be a good idea.

I'll link xenopeek below; he might be able to bring this to the attention of e.g. Lefebvre. As in -- sounds good to me for Mint 21.x, but who knows; there might be a detail hiding.

[t42]

... and I'd say that this is likely to say that, yes, Mint 20.x should or at least could have included that.

pls take note of ID_LIKE= description at https://manpages.debian.org/testing/sys ... .5.en.html:

An OS should generally only list other OS identifiers it itself is a derivative of, and not any OSes that are derived from it, though symmetric relationships are possible.

[rene]

Well, sure, "generally", but for specifically the lowest part of the distribution Mint is not an Ubuntu derivative but is Ubuntu; uses not only unmodified Ubuntu packages but uses them directly from the very Ubuntu repositories even. This to me says that anything which Ubuntu is like, Mint is like -- at that level, i.e., as to packaging and such, which is what that field seems intended to convey.

Combine then with apparent actual practical point to this as per OP and I'd say adding "debian" as in Ubuntu would be a correct thing to do on Mint.

[xenopeek]

I can't say what's correct here but the centos example from the manpage looks to say it should be ID_LIKE="ubuntu debian". No all Ubuntu derivatives do it like that though. Anyway, I've passed the suggestion to the team.

Thanks rene for the ping.

Edit: should be fixed for 21

[rene]

Edit: should be fixed for 21

To OP: seems this was a good place to report...

[ilwegesk]

Good to hear that this might be fixed in 21. Might make things easier ... hopefully. Thanks!

Edit: should be fixed for 21

To OP: seems this was a good place to report...

BTW: Interesting, Pop!_OS seems to identify as ubuntu, Elementary OS also has just ID_LIKE=ubuntu.

[ilwegesk]

Edit: should be fixed for 21

As I'm curious: where's the place in the repository where this file is located for mint?