plymouth dependency dejavu font missing

plymouth-label depends libcairo2
libcairo2 depends libfontconfig1
libfontconfig1 depends fontconfig-config
fontconfig-config depends: ttf-dejavu-core | ttf-bitstream-vera | ttf-freefont | gsfonts-x11

You're right that this does not guarantee ttf-dejavu-core is actually installed; but it will be in the default case and for all systems installed using Ubuntu media. Can you clarify how it is that you have plymouth installed without ttf-dejavu-core? Do you have one of the other fonts installed instead?

We have plymouth-label installed, but there's a combination, which makes it a problem :-)
1. ttf-dejavu-core is only a "OR"-connection, other fonts could be installed instead, BUT
2. the dejavu-font is needed in the initramfs-hook, when you build a new version of the initramfs (look at /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks/plymouth line 68 and 72)
3. since there's no other copied font in the hook, it is not possible to use another one :)

And with our Installsetup & theme (limux) the font wasn't installed at the right time. and if it is directly used in a initramfs-hook, it is pretty important. perhaps i misunderstood some policy guidelines about ubuntu packaging, in that case, please give me a pointer :)

Ok, when you say "at the right time", what do you mean? Do you mean that the initramfs hooks were being run before the plymouth package, and all of its dependencies, were fully installed?

The lack of direct dependency on the font is definitely a bug, and we'll definitely fix that - I'm just trying to make sure I understand if fixing that will actually solve the problem that you were running into. If it's a question of initramfs hooks running before the plymouth-label package is fully configured (i.e., all its dependencies installed), that would need a different sort of fix than just changing the package dependencies.

In our setup we use FAI for distributing our Linux. The packages (plymouth, too) are fully installed on the local system (and harddisk) with the nfsroot (which is mounted remotely). After that, the initramfs of the local system is updated. and then the local hooks are executed. And there, the font-copy fails. The font-copy will even fail after installation, as long as the font is not installed by any package.
hth :)

ps: what would be the different fixes?

On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 09:35:45AM -0000, Dennis Knorr wrote:

> ps: what would be the different fixes?

Well, if this were in fact a question of the initramfs regeneration firing
before the plymouth package was fully installed, we would need to modify the
plymouth hook to detect this scenario and exit without error, also ensuring
that the initramfs is regenerated again from the plymouth postinst (the
latter is already done). But it doesn't sound like this is the problem
you're having, so I'll not worry about it.

Thanks,
--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
<email address hidden> <email address hidden>

This bug was fixed in the package plymouth - 0.8.2-2ubuntu26

---------------
plymouth (0.8.2-2ubuntu26) oneiric; urgency=low

  * Add direct dependency on ttf-dejavu-core since that's the font used in
    the initramfs-tools hook, instead of trusting that fontconfig-config
    pulls in the right alternative. LP: #828027.
  * debian/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-bottom/plymouth: /run doesn't get
    moved to ${rootmnt}/run until *after* our script has run, so don't try
    to check for it before calling plymouth update-root-fs - it's not like
    we would ever want to not pivot root, anyway. Fixes the fact that we
    haven't been getting /var/log/boot.log for months now.
  * debian/plymouth.plymouth-stop.upstart: if stopped by lightdm, let
    lightdm handle the VT transition as it's able, so we get flicker-free
    boot. LP: #849954.
 -- Steve Langasek <email address hidden> Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:56:55 -0700