[Pkg-varnish-devel] Bug#749272: varnish doesn't source /etc/default/varnish when started with systemd

[Stig Sandbeck Mathisen]

Michael Stapelberg <stapelberg at debian.org> writes:

> Hi,
>
> Gregory Colpart <reg at evolix.fr> writes:
>> tags 749272 - wontfix
>> severity 749272 serious
>> retitle 749272 varnish doesn't source /etc/default/varnish when started but uses it when reloaded
>
> This bug’s severity now results in varnish and, transitively,
> freeradius being removed from testing, so it warrants timely
> action. Whether that’s a downgrade or a fix is up to the package
> maintainers (ssm?).
>
> FWIW, I think the request to load environment variable files is
> reasonable. It’s not idiomatic for systemd, but it is a widely used
> technique in Debian and will smoothen the transition for our users.

A problem with /etc/default/varnish is that it is a shell script
fragment, with examples using interpolation, and not just key=value
statements.  If someone has used "Alternative 3" for Varnish from that
file, the "reload" script will still fail when using systemd.

I think a fix for this issue may be:

* remove the reload action from systemd.

* Possibly patch the reload script to ensure it does not attempt to run
  when using systemd, by checking for the presence of
  "/run/systemd/system" and exit with a message if it is present.

I wrote that reload-vcl script long ago, and it has developed other
problems as varnish has developed, and probably needs to be rewritten
from scratch.

It needs to synchronize its varnishd command line option parser with
what varnishd may possibly use, and that was last done a long time ago.

"What should the varnish service actually reload when told to reload"
has multiple options.  The VCL file used when starting up?  The compiled
VCL from starting up? The VCL file last loaded, etc.

-- 
Stig Sandbeck Mathisen
https://fnord.no/