debuginfo subpackages do not depend on main package

Description of problem:
The automatically generated debuginfo subpackages do not require the main package. This causes -debuginfo packages to be left behind if someone uninstalls the main package and also causes broken symlinks. This only affects packages that do not contain libraries, because dependencies on libraries are included in the debuginfo package.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
rpm-build-4.4.2.2-7.fc8

How reproducible:
always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. build a package that generates a debuginfo subpackage
2. run rpm --requires -qp on it

Actual results:
does not require the main package

Expected results:
should require the main package

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Still an issue with F10 (and probably F9).

In my opinion, it's undesirable to have debuginfo packages require *all* of the main packages, but it would be useful if they required *at least one* to be installed (otherwise you'd get unwanted main packages when you install the debuginfo package), and that the version numbers are the same. (I've encountered several situations where the debuginfo package has been updated before the main package, which can cause problems getting debugging symbols in the meantime.)

The -debuginfo packages being left behind needs a different
upgrade model, not a "newer" EVR comparison and a Requires:
dependency, but rather automated removal of -debuginfo
when the last package built at the same time as the -debuginfo
package was built is erased.

Adding a Requires: from -debuginfo to any/all of the packages of
the set will force the -debuginfo to be upgraded with all the
other packages, usually unnecessarily because -debuginfo
packages are used differently than other packages. In the worst
case scenario, the additional Requires: in a -debuginfo will
cause upgrades to fail (if the -debuginfo upgrade is not also included).

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Approximately 30 (thirty) days from now Fedora will stop maintaining
and issuing updates for Fedora 10. It is Fedora's policy to close all
bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time
this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora
'version' of '10'.

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plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version'
to a later Fedora version prior to Fedora 10's end of life.

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we may not be able to fix it before Fedora 10 is end of life. If you
would still like to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it
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bug to the applicable version. If you are unable to change the version,
please add a comment here and someone will do it for you.

Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's
lifetime, sometimes those efforts are overtaken by events. Often a
more recent Fedora release includes newer upstream software that fixes
bugs or makes them obsolete.

The process we are following is described here:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping

Fedora 10 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2009-12-17. Fedora 10 is
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.

still present in pam_mount-debuginfo-1.32-1.fc12.i686.rpm from Rawhide.

This bug appears to have been reported against 'rawhide' during the Fedora 13 development cycle.
Changing version to '13'.

More information and reason for this action is here:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping

*** Bug 596505 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

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Approximately 30 (thirty) days from now Fedora will stop maintaining
and issuing updates for Fedora 13. It is Fedora's policy to close all
bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time
this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora
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plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version'
to a later Fedora version prior to Fedora 13's end of life.

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we may not be able to fix it before Fedora 13 is end of life. If you
would still like to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it
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bug to the applicable version. If you are unable to change the version,
please add a comment here and someone will do it for you.

Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's
lifetime, sometimes those efforts are overtaken by events. Often a
more recent Fedora release includes newer upstream software that fixes
bugs or makes them obsolete.

The process we are following is described here:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping

Fedora 13 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2011-06-25. Fedora 13 is
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.

I am reopening this bug because I believe it is the right thing to do. My main issue is not because -debuginfo packages are left behind, but essentially because installing a -debuginfo package without having the binary install is just not productive/logical. I have just solved a GDB bug about this (GDB was displaying a wrong hint for the user, containing a command to be run, which only installed the -debuginfo and still did not allow the user to debug the binary because there was *no* binary installed). Anyway, is there any chance of this being fixed?

Requiring main package seems like the obvious thing to do... up to the point where a debuginfo package is blocking a security (or other important) update from getting applied. Since the debuginfo packages live in separate repositories and do not affect the actual functionality of the packages they are for, the current situation is simply the lesser of two evils.

There is some faint hope that we might be able to fix this with weak or boolean dependencies. Leaving this open for now. A dependency based solution will most likely require the debug-info repository being enabled, though.

This bug appears to have been reported against 'rawhide' during the Fedora 23 development cycle.
Changing version to '23'.

(As we did not run this process for some time, it could affect also pre-Fedora 23 development
cycle bugs. We are very sorry. It will help us with cleanup during Fedora 23 End Of Life. Thank you.)

More information and reason for this action is here:
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping/Fedora23

*** Bug 1289160 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Recently, another thing was mentioned - related to this issue - https://<email address hidden>/thread/V3JDB74XPJQVNWO7SJVVDYFP3AR6GQD4/ ... debuginfo doesn't depend on the main package, but doesn't contain any license information. This is an issue from legal point of view based on the statement by Richard Fontana.