Provide an absolute path to a debootstrap tarball

[mengelmann]

Hi,

while using tarball: true in manifest file bootstrap-vz returns a debootstrap error E: Tarball must be given a complete path. Debootstrap expects an absolute path to tarball while bootstrap-vz provides relative path.

Bootstrap-vz should provide an absolute path to a debootstrap tarball.

Details:

As described in http://bootstrap-vz.readthedocs.io/en/master/manifests/index.html debootstrap can then be pointed at a tarball and use it instead of downloading packages from the internet.

bootstrapper:
  workspace: ./dist
  tarball: true

Running bootstrap-vz with the manifest that contains tarball: true returns an error:

[...]
Installing Debian
Command 'debootstrap --arch=amd64 --include=locales --unpack-tarball=./dist/debootstrap-6c80f35a.tar stretch ./dist/e190f459/root http://deb.debian.org/debian/' returned non-zero exit status 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/users/mengelmann/bootstrap-vz/bootstrapvz/base/main.py", line 111, in run
    tasklist.run(info=bootstrap_info, dry_run=dry_run)
  File "/home/users/mengelmann/bootstrap-vz/bootstrapvz/base/tasklist.py", line 44, in run
    task.run(info)
  File "/home/users/mengelmann/bootstrap-vz/bootstrapvz/common/tasks/bootstrap.py", line 84, in run
    log_check_call(executable + options + arguments)
  File "/home/users/mengelmann/bootstrap-vz/bootstrapvz/common/tools.py", line 13, in log_check_call
    raise e
CalledProcessError: Command 'debootstrap --arch=amd64 --include=locales --unpack-tarball=./dist/debootstrap-6c80f35a.tar stretch ./dist/e190f459/root http://deb.debian.org/debian/' returned non-zero exit status 1
Rolling back
Unmounting the bootstrap volume
[...]

Running debotstrap directly with given options returns an error "E: Tarball must be given a complete path". Link to debootstrap source code https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/d-i/debootstrap.git/tree/debootstrap#n530

$ sudo debootstrap --arch=amd64 --include=locales --unpack-tarball=./dist/debootstrap-6c80f35a.tar stretch ./dist/e190f459/root http://deb.debian.org/debian/
E: Tarball must be given a complete path

[andsens]

Hm, I think what we need to do here is fix how the workspace path is handled. I never thought of using a relative path for that part. To keep things consistent, I think we should simultaneously make the workspace path relative to the manifest, like we do with a lot of other paths in the manifest.

[mengelmann]

@andsens sorry for the delay.

You are right - debootstrap finds tarball just fine while using a relative path for workspace in a manifest file.

In my opinion, we should prefer a relative path instead of an absolute path.

Our use case is as follows:

• we have manifest files in a private git repository
• many DevOps may use the manifest files to develop and build images
• many DevOps may work on single dev machine (VM)
• CI system builds images as well

So:

• the hardcoded absolute path within a home directory is not possible
• the hardcoded absolute path out of a home directory (e.g. /target) may conflict when used multiple users

Making workspace path relative to the manifest as you suggested looks great for me (consistency and no need for absolute paths).

[mengelmann]

Other issue related to relative/absolute paths #368.

[mengelmann]

@andsens I can try to prepare PR for this issue, but please give me some hints how you would like to get the workspace path relative to the manifest done.

[andsens]

please give me some hints how you would like to get the workspace path relative to the manifest done.

Oh, that's easy. Just use rel_path like all other tasks do. Give it info.manifest.path as the first arg and the relative path in question as the second one.