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Tasklist

FS#79303 - [libguestfs] Less rigid QEMU dependencies

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by drws (drws) - Saturday, 05 August 2023, 18:51 GMT
Last edited by Toolybird (Toolybird) - Monday, 07 August 2023, 20:53 GMT
Task Type Bug Report
Category Packages: Extra
Status Closed
Assigned To David Runge (dvzrv)
Robin Broda (coderobe)
Architecture All
Severity Low
Priority Normal
Reported Version
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 0
Private No

Details

Description: Installing `guestfs-tools`/`libguestfs` pulls `qemu` as a dependency. The slimest option is `qemu-base`, which has another 125 dependencies and still means a whole (headless) QEMU installation.

If only `guestfs-tools`/`libguestfs` are needed, even `qemu-base` takes up a considerable amount of space with its 126 packages. A better solution than pulling in a whole `qemu` bundle is that `libguestfs` required selected `qemu-*` packages actually needed for its operation.

Additional info:
* package version: 1.48.6-6

Steps to reproduce:
1. ensure `qemu`, `qemu-*` and `libguestfs` aren't installed
2. `pacman -Syu libguestfs`
This task depends upon

Closed by  Toolybird (Toolybird)
Monday, 07 August 2023, 20:53 GMT
Reason for closing:  Not a bug
Additional comments about closing:  See comments
Comment by Toolybird (Toolybird) - Saturday, 05 August 2023, 23:48 GMT
libguestfs deps related: FS#73123
qemu meta pkg related: FS#75078 FS#78863

This issue would largely be addressed by FS#75078, which I have implemented in my local setup. For me the libguestfs build pulls in only:

qemu-base
qemu-common
qemu-img
qemu-system-x86
qemu-system-x86-firmware
Comment by drws (drws) - Sunday, 06 August 2023, 20:49 GMT
I see this is a well-explored issue and this is probably a duplicate.

Your build is lighter, but this is still a whole QEMU installation, pulling in 60 direct dependencies and then some more. This is still an overkill if only libguestfs is needed.
Comment by Toolybird (Toolybird) - Monday, 07 August 2023, 05:44 GMT
> but this is still a whole QEMU installation, pulling in 60 direct dependencies and then some more. This is still an overkill if only libguestfs is needed.

It seems you might have a misunderstanding. Just to be clear, libguestfs depends 100% on a working QEMU. It doesn't work at all without it. The absolute bare minimum requirement is "qemu-system-x86" (and its deps).
Comment by drws (drws) - Monday, 07 August 2023, 18:08 GMT
Indeed I misunderstood its relation to QEMU, thank you for clarification. Please close this mishap of mine.

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