* '''Launchpad Entry''': UbuntuSpec:fast-lsb-release
 * '''Created''': 2008-06-02
 * '''Contributors''': LarsWirzenius
 * '''Packages affected''': lsb-release

== FIXME ==

 * Discuss the implementation approach with upstream.
 * Ubuntu desktop team: there's no need to call lsb_release during boot at all.
 * Instead of hard-wiring values during build, consider caching them.
 * Investigate possibilities of optimising the generic version, too.

== Summary ==

"lsb_release -ir" can add a couple of seconds to boot time. Make it fast.

== Release Note ==

This spec has no end-use impact.

== Rationale ==

According to profiling of the Ubuntu boot process, running "lsb_release
-ir" can add a couple of seconds to the total boot time. This is
primarily because it is written in a way to be generic for all Debian
and derivative systems. For example, it queries the system using
apt-cache.

Since, in fact, lsb_release will always report the same results for
a given release of a given operating system, the results could be
hardwired, speeding things up a lot. However, since this requires
special care from derivatives to not break lsb_release, the existing,
generic behavior should be retained, too.

== Design ==

Modify the lsb-release package to optionally determine as many output
values as possible at build-time. Enable this in the Ubuntu version
of the package. Additionally, add option --generic to force running
the generic version.

== Implementation ==

To be determined.

== Test/Demo Plan ==

 * Build the modified version of lsb-release on every still-supported
   release of Ubuntu and Debian.
 * Run lsb_release with and without the --generic option.
 * Verify that outputs match.

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CategorySpec