[linux@bucksch.org: Bug#101186: purge removes new mail in spool dir]
What do people think about this bug?
I think the current behaviour is basically correct - purge should remove all
traces of a program, and that should include temporary files which can't be
used by any package other than the one being purged (purge implies that you
don't expect to ever re-install the package being purged).
I do think that a warning and/or a final attempt to deliver the mail might be
a good idea though.
Please Cc me on any replies as I don't read debian-devel.
----- Forwarded message from Ben Bucksch <linux@bucksch.org> -----
Envelope-to: mark@mnb.org.uk
Delivery-date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 13:03:25 +0100
Subject: Bug#101186: purge removes new mail in spool dir
Reply-To: Ben Bucksch <linux@bucksch.org>, 101186@bugs.debian.org
X-Debian-PR-Message: report 101186
X-Debian-PR-Package: exim
X-Debian-PR-Keywords:
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 13:56:03 +0200
From: Ben Bucksch <linux@bucksch.org>
Organization: Me, myself and I
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en; Development) Gecko/20010608 Beonex/0.7-dev-1
X-Accept-Language: de, en-us
To: submit@bugs.debian.org
Delivered-To: submit@bugs.debian.org
Package: exim
Version: 3.12-10 (potato)
Severity: grave
Short descr.:
|dpkg --purge exim| removes |/var/spool/exim|, regardless, if there are
mails in this dir -> dataloss.
Long descr.:
Since I horked /var/mail, my personal exim was unable to deliver mails.
It stayed a few days in this state, so a few 100-200 mails have been
collected in exim's spool directory.
During trying to fix /var/mail, I decided to switch to postfix. I did
|dpkg --purge exim|, which, according to Debian docs, also removes the
config files, which is what I wanted. However, it not only removed the
config files, but each and every trace of exim, including
|/var/spool/exim|, which contained my undelivered mails. I don't
remember any warning or anything about that. All undelivered mail was gone.
Debian docs are not at all clear about the fact that purge is supposed
to remove everything, including user data. E.g. deity says "_ Mark or
unmark for purgation (deletes config files)".
Anyways, I would not remove user data during purge.
Suggested fixes:
Either
- Leave undelivered mails alone (suggested)
- Issue a bold warning, requiring user confirmation (dunno, if that is
pososible)
- Change each and every description of purge (all docs, all interactive
help systems in all apps) to make clear that purge may remove spool data
Please check other MTAs, if they exhibit the same problem.
----- End forwarded message -----
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