check why there is a hard dependency on bpftrace in debian packaging

[andreasgerstmayr]

https://packages.debian.org/sid/pcp

we have a hard dependency on bpftrace, but a weak dependency (suggests) on python3-bpfcc. imho bpftrace shouldn't be a hard dependency, as probably many users don't need the bpftrace PMDA. The bpftrace PMDA stops gracefully if there is no bpftrace binary available.

[natoscott]

Hmm, strange - AFAICS we only list bpftrace as a build dep, and as a suggestion in the debian/control file(s).

I wonder is its being added to the Depends line "${misc:Depends}" variable somehow? (automatically, outside of our control during the build?) - not sure.

[andreasgerstmayr]

The interaction of the bpftrace PMDA with bpftrace is through forking a new bpftrace process, so we don't need it as a build dependency. Ideally the bpftrace subpackage would have a dependency on bpftrace, but in the absence of separate packages for each PMDA on debian, imho there should only be a suggest-dependency on bpftrace.

tbh I don't know how ${misc:Depends} gets compiled - that's another area for a deep dive, most likely after the next release.