Bug#1107744: libnss-ldapd,debian-edu-config: flaky autopkgtest for debian-edu-config: newly-created group cannot be resolved

On Fri, 13 Jun 2025 at 16:26:20 +0000, Mike Gabriel wrote:
>On  Fr 13 Jun 2025 15:44:14 UTC, Simon McVittie wrote:
>>This test installs debian-edu metapackages, which in particular include
>>libnss-ldapd and polkitd
>
>Normally, if nslcd and libnss-ldapd get installed they are inert until 
>and admin adjust /etc/nsswitch.conf and adds ldap ad nss provider.

OK, so it doesn't automatically add itself to the configuration like 
e.g. libnss-systemd or libnss-mdns do?

That does make sense - libnss-ldapd is presumably not going to be useful
until the sysadmin has had an opportunity to configure an LDAP server.
If true, that would seem to point to libnss-ldapd not being the problem,
because I think the failure to install polkitd is happening long before 
any debian-edu-specific setup gets a chance to run.

>Is nscd also installed in the testbed?

 From the log, looks like yes, but only because debian-edu-config 
installed it. If nscd is automatically used when installed, then that's 
another possible root cause - I know it has had a chequered history and 
lots of old bugs remain open.

I don't have interactive access to the testbed. I only reported this 
because Ted ran into this as a blocker for an e2fsprogs upload, 
initially suspected a polkitd bug and asked the polkitd uploaders for 
help; I'm afraid I don't have any more access, knowledge, or ability to 
reproduce the issue than you do.

>Hmmm, this is very strange. It would be interesting if this error also 
>occurs if libnss-ldapd/nscd were not installed.

You could try uploading a version of debian-edu-config without those 
packages to experimental, or testing it locally?

Unfortunately the error is intermittent, so it'll be hard to know 
whether you've successfully worked around it or whether you were just 
lucky.

>I will check how to intercept a shell session in an 
>autopkgtest testbed

You might find `autopkgtest --shell-fail` useful.

     smcv