Fedora 33 System-Wide Change proposal: Removal of the glibc-headers package

[Ben Cotton]

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/RemoveGlibcHeaders

== Summary ==
It was always the intent that on Fedora for x86-64, only the
`glibc-headers.x86_64` was installed and available from composes.
However, due to compose tool limitations, the `glibc-headers.i686`
package sometimes leaks into the compose, and end users my install it,
causing future upgrade problems.

== Owner ==
* Name: [[User:fweimer| Florian Weimer]]
* Email: [mailto:[e-mail] fweimer(a)redhat.com]

== Detailed Description ==

If `glibc-headers.i686` is installed for some reason and it vanishes
again from the compose, the system cannot be updated anymore using
`dnf update`.

We cannot remove the `glibc-headers.i686` package from the build
because the i686 buildroot needs it. The current solution is to
provide a `glibc-headers-x86.noarch` package on i686 and x86_64. Since
it is a noarch package, the existing compose tool is no longer a
problem.

[https://pagure.io/releng/issue/8337 releng issue #8337] contains
further background information.

== Benefit to Fedora ==

System upgrades will work more reliably.

== Scope ==
* Proposal owners: Implement the glibc changes and remove some of the
build dependencies on `glibc-headers`.

* Other developers: Help with the removal of `glibc-headers`
dependencies will be appreciated.

* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issue/9384 #9384] (a
check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed) <!-- REQUIRED
FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
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* Policies and guidelines: The packaging guidelines already recommend
a dependency on `gcc` or `gcc-c++` for the appropriate compiler, so
they do not need changing.

* Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)


== Upgrade/compatibility impact ==

The goal is more seamless in-place upgrades.

The removal of `glibc-headers` dependencies is optional because there
are compatibility `Provides:`.

== How To Test ==

Regular system upgrades of rawhide will implicitly test this change,
and so will upgrades from previous Fedora versions.

== User Experience ==

There is no change in user experience.

== Dependencies ==

This change can be implemented on its own.

== Contingency Plan ==

* Contingency mechanism: Revert the change and bring back the
`glibc-headers` package as it exists today.
* Contingency deadline: before Beta
* Blocks release? no
* Blocks product? no

== Documentation ==

No documentation update is needed.

== Release Notes ==

The removal of the `glibc-headers` package should be mentioned, and
that build-time dependencies should be on the compiler packages (or
`glibc-devel`, if that makes more sense for some reason.)


-- 
Ben Cotton
He / Him / His
Senior Program Manager, Fedora & CentOS Stream
Red Hat
TZ=America/Indiana/Indianapolis