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Re: [RFR] templates://qmail/{qmail.templates}



Christian PERRIER wrote:
> (for dle readers: this package apparently violates many devref
> recommendations, particularly about debconf notes abuse. This is
> indeed a quite specific case, as the qmail package is used to generate
> qmail-src....many discussions already happened with the current
> maintainer about this. So, we'll not insist too hard on some things)

There are also some major problems in the control file's package
descriptions (in control.real rather than control); basically, when
it says "modern" it means "mid-90s".  But I'll leave that for later,
because there's enough to worry about in the templates.

>  Template: qmail/readme
>  Type: note
> +_Description: Notice for qmail users
> + Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read
> + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a
> + description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in
> + other systems and other mail delivery agents.
Harvard comma:   ^,              transfer

(MDAs are things like procmail or maildrop.)

>   .
>   If you were using sendmail (or smail) previously, you will also want to read
>   the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between
>   sendmail and qmail.

Anybody upgrading directly from Smail (last seen in Etch) to this
version of Qmail (in Squeeze) would already be doing something
unsupported.  Are Exim/Postfix/etc users being left out just because
the qmail-upgrade manpage is monstrously out of date?

I can't see this manpage anywhere in the archives, but there are
copies online, and they do as I feared talk as if Sendmail was the
only other MTA in existence.  I don't want to end up suggesting:

    If you have been frozen in a glacier you will also want to read
    "http://www.qmail.org/qmail-manual-html/man7/qmail-upgrade.html";,
    which details user-visible differences between Qmail and Stegodon.

but I do think it needs to be something more like:

    If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want
    to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible
    differences between Sendmail and Qmail.

(Assuming qmail-upgrade(7) is packaged somewhere I'm not looking.)

[...]
>  Template: qmail/start
> +Type: boolean
>  _Description: Do you want to start qmail now?

Or tersely:      Start qmail now?

>  Template: qmail/reboot
>  Type: note
>  _Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot
> + You did choose not to start qmail now. It will be started
        ^^^^^^^^^^
Simple past "You chose not to start qmail"..."

[...] 
>  Template: qmail/qlist
>  Type: note
> +_Description: qlist utility discontinued
> + The qlist utility has been splitted into a separate package by upstream
> + developer since qmail 1.02.

"Split" is one of those monosyllabic verbs ending in "t" that can't
be bothered inflecting (compare "hit", "cut").  But that "has been"
construction feels awkward when we're talking about a decade-old
change:

    The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream
    developer in Qmail 1.02.

(Also not calling qlist-1.00.tar.gz a "package".)

> + .
> + This utility is not package as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can
> + however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html.

    This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can
    however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html.

Even that page says ezmlm renders it obsolete.

> + Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes
> + since qmail 1.01.
          Q
> 
> I wonder if this dialog is still useful given that qmail 1.03 seems to
> be around since 1999.

If the idea is to call the admin's attention to changes, it should
surely be a NEWS file... I vote for throwing it out, along with all
similar templates.

>  Template: qmail/inetd
> -Type: note
> -_Description: inetd.conf changes
> - inetd does not handle qmail terribly effectively, so 
> +Type: error
> +_Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes
> + The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling qmail, so 
>   the default instalation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead.
                installation
>   .
>   For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled.
>   .
>   This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using
> - /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see /usr/doc/qmail/README for details)
> + /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see

    /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see

> + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details).
>  
>  Template: qmail/tcpupdate
>  Type: note
>  _Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver

Why are you telling me this?

>  Template: qmail/override
> +Type: boolean
> +_Description: Override pre-existing qmail installation?
> + An existing installation of qmail has been detected. Please choose
> + whether you want this installation to be overriden.

I hope "override" here isn't a mistake for "overwrite".  Still,
either word seems close enough.

Why would this require the admin's attention?  Do Qmail users have
to manually okay each new in-place upgrade?
-- 
JBR	with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian
	sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
--- ../qmail-1.03.pristine/debian/qmail.templates	2010-03-17 12:07:40.000000000 +0000
+++ debian/qmail.templates	2010-03-23 12:50:43.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,69 +1,77 @@
 Template: qmail/readme
 Type: note
-_Description: README
- Before making any changes to your qmail configuration, please read
- /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz.  This contains a description of the 
- differences bewtween other mailers on Debian, qmail on Debian, and qmail on 
- other systems.
- .
- If you were using sendmail (or smail) previously, you will also want to read
- the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between
- sendmail and qmail.
+_Description: Notice for qmail users
+ Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read
+ /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a
+ description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in
+ other systems, and other mail transfer agents.
+ .
+ If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want
+ to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible
+ differences between Sendmail and Qmail.
  .
- If you are new to qmail, you will want to at least peruse the qmail FAQ, which
- can be found in /usr/doc/qmail
+ If you are new to Qmail, you will want to at least peruse the Qmail FAQ, which
+ can be found in /usr/share/doc/qmail.
 
 Template: qmail/start
-Type: select
-_Choices: yes, no
-_Description: Do you want to start qmail now?
+Type: boolean
+_Description: Start Qmail now?
 
 Template: qmail/reboot
 Type: note
 _Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot
- Or you can start qmail manually when
- you are ready by typing (as root) "/etc/init.d/qmail start" at a shell prompt.
+ You chose not to start Qmail now. It will be started
+ automatically at next reboot.
+ .
+ You can also start it manually with "/etc/init.d/qmail start"
+ (as root) at a shell prompt.
 
 Template: qmail/userpurge
-Type: select
-_Choices: yes, no
-_Description: Remove qmail users during a purge?
+Type: boolean
+_Description: Remove Qmail users during a purge?
+ Please choose whether you want users created by the qmail package
+ to be removed when this package is purged.
 
 Template: qmail/recipientmap
-Type: note
-_Description: WARNING
- recipientmap is gone from qmail-1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism
- has been expanded to support virtual users.  You will need to fix your setup.
+Type: error
+_Description: Changes for virtual users
+ recipientmap is gone from Qmail 1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism
+ has been expanded to support virtual users. This machine's setup
+ needs to be fixed.
 
 Template: qmail/qlist
 Type: note
-_Description: WARNING
- qlist has been split into a separate package by Dan Bernstein (the
- author of qmail) since qmail-1.02.
- .
- qlist has not been packaged because ezmlm does a better job,
- but if you still want qlist, you can either get it direct from
- http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html
+_Description: qlist utility discontinued
+ The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream
+ developer in Qmail 1.02.
+ .
+ This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can
+ however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html.
  .
- Please check in /usr/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes since qmail 1.01
+ Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes
+ since Qmail 1.01.
 
 Template: qmail/inetd
-Type: note
-_Description: inetd.conf changes
- inetd does not handle qmail terribly effectively, so 
- the default instalation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead.
+Type: error
+_Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes
+ The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling Qmail, so 
+ the default installation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead.
  .
  For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled.
  .
  This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using
- /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see /usr/doc/qmail/README for details)
+ /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see
+ /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details).
 
 Template: qmail/tcpupdate
 Type: note
 _Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver
 
 Template: qmail/override
-Type: select
-_Choices: yes, no
-_Description: Pre-existing qmail installation detected.  Override?
-
+Type: boolean
+_Description: Override pre-existing Qmail installation?
+ An existing installation of Qmail has been detected. Please choose
+ whether you want this installation to be overriden.
+ .
+ Do not choose this option if you need to preserve the current setup
+ for Qmail.
Template: qmail/readme
Type: note
_Description: Notice for qmail users
 Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read
 /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a
 description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in
 other systems, and other mail transfer agents.
 .
 If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want
 to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible
 differences between Sendmail and Qmail.
 .
 If you are new to Qmail, you will want to at least peruse the Qmail FAQ, which
 can be found in /usr/share/doc/qmail.

Template: qmail/start
Type: boolean
_Description: Start Qmail now?

Template: qmail/reboot
Type: note
_Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot
 You chose not to start Qmail now. It will be started
 automatically at next reboot.
 .
 You can also start it manually with "/etc/init.d/qmail start"
 (as root) at a shell prompt.

Template: qmail/userpurge
Type: boolean
_Description: Remove Qmail users during a purge?
 Please choose whether you want users created by the qmail package
 to be removed when this package is purged.

Template: qmail/recipientmap
Type: error
_Description: Changes for virtual users
 recipientmap is gone from Qmail 1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism
 has been expanded to support virtual users. This machine's setup
 needs to be fixed.

Template: qmail/qlist
Type: note
_Description: qlist utility discontinued
 The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream
 developer in Qmail 1.02.
 .
 This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can
 however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html.
 .
 Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes
 since Qmail 1.01.

Template: qmail/inetd
Type: error
_Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes
 The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling Qmail, so 
 the default installation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead.
 .
 For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled.
 .
 This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using
 /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see
 /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details).

Template: qmail/tcpupdate
Type: note
_Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver

Template: qmail/override
Type: boolean
_Description: Override pre-existing Qmail installation?
 An existing installation of Qmail has been detected. Please choose
 whether you want this installation to be overriden.
 .
 Do not choose this option if you need to preserve the current setup
 for Qmail.

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