Strip package scripts from .deb packages (postinst, postrm, preinst, prerm)

Better Usage.md

The best way to use this tool is to hook apt's use of dpkg to run it before doing any package installs.

In your apt.conf, put this:

DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs {"xargs -rL1 bash /path/to/stripdeb.sh 2>&1 | logger -t stripdeb"}

Then, a demo:

% sudo apt-get install mysql-server-5.1
...
Fetched 7,110kB in 3s (2,344kB/s)           
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server-5.1.
(Reading database ... 231513 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mysql-server-5.1 (from .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server.
Unpacking mysql-server (from .../mysql-server_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_all.deb) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up mysql-server-5.1 (5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8) ...

Setting up mysql-server (5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

And from the logs (thanks to | logger -t stripdeb)

Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: Stripping /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb of pre/post maintainer scripts
Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb: Stripping postrm
Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb: Replacing /tmp/tmp.xEyTSHBK7T/postinst with a generic 'ldconfig' script
Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb: Stripping prerm
Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_amd64.deb: Stripping preinst
Dec 20 11:49:43 snack stripdeb: Stripping /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.8_all.deb of pre/post maintainer scripts

Perfect. Automated madness-removal.

Example usage.md

% bash stripdeb.sh deb/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12_amd64.deb
removed `/tmp/tmp.pawYQOWSwK/postrm'
removed `/tmp/tmp.pawYQOWSwK/postinst'
removed `/tmp/tmp.pawYQOWSwK/prerm'
removed `/tmp/tmp.pawYQOWSwK/preinst'

Now demo it with dpkg:

% sudo dpkg -i deb/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12_amd64.deb 
Selecting previously deselected package mysql-server-5.1.
(Reading database ... 233443 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mysql-server-5.1 (from .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12_amd64.deb) ...
Setting up mysql-server-5.1 (5.1.41-3ubuntu12) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...

Notice no broken scripts were run!

This fixes:

• Doesn't start, restart, upgrade, screw up, or otherwise molest your system with the maintainer script antipattern.
• Lets your config management tool (puppet, chef, cfengine, etc) do the sane service/user/etc management.

stripdeb.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Usage: stripdeb.sh something.deb

echo "Args: $*"
echo "Stripping $1 of pre/post maintainer scripts"
tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)

[ ! -f $1 ] && exit 1

genldconfigscript() {
  # Maybe we should just make the always run 'ldconfig'
  cat << EOF
#!/bin/sh
[ "\$1" = "configure" ] && ldconfig
[ "\$1" = "remove" ] && ldconfig
true
EOF
}

# The .deb is an 'ar' archive, grab the control files.
ar -p $1 control.tar.gz | tar -C $tmpdir -zxf -

# Kill the stupid package scripts, but log what we do.
for i in $tmpdir/{post,pre}{rm,inst} ; do
  if [ -f $i ] ; then

    # Linux sucks, so we have to run ldconfig on any library changes.
    # So if the post/pre script includes ldconfig 
    if grep -q ldconfig $i ; then
      echo "$1: Replacing $i with a generic 'ldconfig' script"
      genldconfigscript > $i
      chmod 755 $i
    else
      echo "$1: Stripping $(basename $i)"
      rm $i
    fi
  fi
done

# Rebuild the control tarball
tar -C $tmpdir -zcf control.tar.gz .

# And replace the old one with the stripped one back into the .deb
ar -r $1 control.tar.gz

# Clean up
rm control.tar.gz