debconf problem: only one owner ???

[Gregor Hoffleit <gregor@hoffleit.de>]

I'm running against a wall with debconf.

I'm trying to construct a simple example where one templates has two
owners. Whatever I try, only the first package installed is registered
as owner.

I've attached a tarball with the sources for a minimal package
(in directory test). You can compile multiple packages out of these
sources:

    PKG=test0 ./debian/rules binary
    PKG=test1 ./debian/rules binary

results in two packages, test0.deb and test1.deb (for you convenience,
I've included these packages).

Both share a common template, "shared/test".

The strange thing is, that depending on the installation order of the
packages, only the first one is registered as owner of the template:

    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer dpkg -i
    test1_0.0-1_i386.deb test2_0.0-1_i386.deb 
    Selecting previously deselected package test1.
    (Reading database ... 18739 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking test1 (from test1_0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
    Selecting previously deselected package test2.
    Unpacking test2 (from test2_0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
    Setting up test1 (0.0-1) ...
    debconf (developer): frontend started
    debconf (developer): frontend running, package name is test1
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test1.config configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- VERSION 2.0
    debconf (developer): --> 0 2.0
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test owners
    debconf (developer): --> 0 test1
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test choices
    debconf (developer): --> 0 
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test1.postinst
    configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- GET shared/test
    debconf (developer): --> 0 
    
    Setting up test2 (0.0-1) ...
    debconf (developer): frontend started
    debconf (developer): frontend running, package name is test2
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test2.config configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- VERSION 2.0
    debconf (developer): --> 0 2.0
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test owners
    debconf (developer): --> 0 test1
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test choices
    debconf (developer): --> 0 
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test2.postinst
    configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- GET shared/test
    debconf (developer): --> 0 

    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# debconf-show test1
      shared/test: 
    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# debconf-show test2
    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# 


Only test1 is registered as owner, since it was installed first.

When test1 is now purged, and test2 is reinstalled, then test2 is the
owner of "shared/test":

    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer dpkg --purge test1
    (Reading database ... 18745 files and directories currently installed.)
    Removing test1 ...
    Purging configuration files for test1 ...
    debconf (developer): frontend started
    debconf (developer): frontend running, package name is test1
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test1.postrm purge
    debconf (developer): <-- PURGE 
    debconf (developer): --> 0
    
    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer dpkg -i
    test2_0.0-1_i386.deb 
    (Reading database ... 18742 files and directories currently installed.)
    Preparing to replace test2 0.0-1 (using test2_0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
    Unpacking replacement test2 ...
    Setting up test2 (0.0-1) ...
    debconf (developer): frontend started
    debconf (developer): frontend running, package name is test2
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test2.config configure
    0.0-1
    debconf (developer): <-- VERSION 2.0
    debconf (developer): --> 0 2.0
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test owners
    debconf (developer): --> 0 test2
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test choices
    debconf (developer): --> 0 
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test2.postinst
    configure 0.0-1
    debconf (developer): <-- GET shared/test
    debconf (developer): --> 0 

When I now reinstall test1, then it doesn't get registered as owner:

    WOODY:/tmp/d/debconf-test# DEBCONF_DEBUG=developer dpkg -i
    test1_0.0-1_i386.deb 
    Selecting previously deselected package test1.
    (Reading database ... 18742 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking test1 (from test1_0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
    Setting up test1 (0.0-1) ...
    debconf (developer): frontend started
    debconf (developer): frontend running, package name is test1
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test1.config configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- VERSION 2.0
    debconf (developer): --> 0 2.0
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test owners
    debconf (developer): --> 0 test2
    debconf (developer): <-- METAGET shared/test choices
    debconf (developer): --> 0 
    debconf (developer): starting /var/lib/dpkg/info/test1.postinst
    configure 
    debconf (developer): <-- GET shared/test
    debconf (developer): --> 0 



I don't know what I'm doing wrong here.

I have an idea how to remove that superfluous "restart server" questions
that come up when installing multiple Zope or Apache modules at once,
but I need that owner variable to implement that with debconf.


Thanks in advance for removing that wall ;-)

    Gregor