Bug#150511: tetex-bin: the postinst fails to preserve user changes in /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf and others
>>"Atsuhito" == Atsuhito Kohda <kohda@pm.tokushima-u.ac.jp> writes:
Atsuhito> From: "Manoj Srivastava" <srivasta@debian.org>
Atsuhito> Subject: Bug#150511: tetex-bin: the postinst fails to preserve user changes in /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf and others
Atsuhito> Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 21:33:40 -0500
>> The postinst moves /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf, and
>> /etc/texmf/fmtutil.cnf out of the way, and creates new versions,
>> losing any user changes, in direct violation of policy. This is most
>> certainly not desired behaviour, since I had spent a lot of time
>> crafting the configuration files.
Atsuhito> Well, I have a feeling that you misunderstand the new scheme
Atsuhito> of tetex-bin.
This is hard to argue with, but I respectfully suggest that I
do understand the new scheme; I am saying the new scheme contravenes
policy.
Atsuhito> What is your main point in fact?
My point in fact is that we, in Debian, have been going around
telling people that it is OK for them to edit things under /etc, and
we shall opreserve changes. Policy says so unambigusously.
Atsuhito> - Dou you know that local changes of /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf
Atsuhito> will be preserved if a user changes it through modifying
Atsuhito> files in /etc/texmf/texmf.d/ or adding appropriate file(s)
Atsuhito> in /etc/texmf/texmf.d/ and run "update-texmf"?
Atsuhito> (I believe it is very rare that a user should modify the files
Atsuhito> in /etc/texmf/texmf.d/ which tetex-bin owns.)
Not quite good enough. If one were used to running TeX on a
non Debian machine, editing texmf.conf comes naturally. Trying to
maintian a common tetex environment across various flavours of UNIX
is not uncommon (I have a texmf.conf that has grown over the years,
with commnets, and toehr details).
This violates the principle of least surprise.
Atsuhito> The direct editing of /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf is not reasonable
Atsuhito> with our new scheme.
Then your scheme is not reasonable in Debian, given that /etc
has been determined to be the preserve of the local admin, to edit
files at will.
Atsuhito> - Or do you claim that /etc/texmf/texmf.cnf should be in,
Atsuhito> for example, /var/lib/texmf/web2c/ ?
No, since all configuration files must be in /etc.
Atsuhito> Further, IMHO, it seems policy says nothing explicitly on the
Atsuhito> preservation of changes when a package removes a conffile
Atsuhito> (texmf.cnf) and installs new conffiles (/etc/texmf/texmf.d/05TeXMF
Atsuhito> etc.).
Policy states quite clearly that _all_ configuration files,
whteher or not they are conffiles, MUST have user changes preserved.
Atsuhito> - The reason of the new scheme is to provide flexible
Atsuhito> enough method to setup texmf.cnf for many related packages,
Atsuhito> such as xmltex, ptex-bin, jtex-bin,...
Quite so. But don't override user changes automatically.
Merely asking a question to violate policy is also not good
enough, since there may be multuple sysadmins in the environment
where the Debian box finds itself. In that case, a question answered
by one admin several upgrades ago may not be adequate warning for
loosing user changes.
manoj
--
"How did you spend the weekend?" asked the pretty brunette secretary
of her blonde companion. "Fishing through the ice," she
replied. "Fishing through the ice? Whatever for?" "Olives."
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-tetex-maint-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: