[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: variable list in database



On Sat, Jan 16, 1999 at 01:03:26PM +0800, Mikolaj J. Habryn wrote:
> >>>>> "AT" == Anthony Towns <aj@azure.humbug.org.au> writes:
>     AT> But on the other hand -- one of our major goals is to make
>     AT> non-interactive installs possible, which means moving the
>     AT> questions that are already in postinst's somewhere else. Some
>     AT> of those questions are in the magicfilter postinst.
>   Without a doubt, anything that is currently queried by a postinst
> does indeed need to be handled in some way. My concern is about
> incomplete solutions. If we have variables in the database that affect 
> a single configuration file, for example, then we'll need to be able
> to completely describe the configuration file in some way.

We've got a couple of options here --

	* limit ourselves to just having a clean and tidy interface for
	  the initial setup -- modifications can be done by hand and stuff,
	  but you're not really expected to get much use out of the config
	  tool if you do this.

	  This is more or less what our postinst's do now, help you set
	  something up the first time, and take care not to mess with your
	  changes without warning.

	* make our tools aim to /completely/ understanding every config file
	  everywhere, so when you double click the admintool icon on your
	  desktop, it parses /etc/printcap and whatever else and lets you
	  tweak it however you like.

Personally, I'm happy as long as we've got the former, although I'd like
to have a little automated help for modifications as well. I think parsing
existing files is Too Hard, though, at least for the moment.

Cheers,
aj

-- 
Anthony Towns <aj@humbug.org.au> <http://azure.humbug.org.au/~aj/>
I don't speak for anyone save myself. PGP encrypted mail preferred.

``Like the ski resort of girls looking for husbands and husbands looking
  for girls, the situation is not as symmetrical as it might seem.''

Attachment: pgp0aGl9xivaL.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: