(wtf? This is still in my postponed-messages folder? No wonder there
hasn't been any response to it yet... *sigh*)
On Mon, Mar 22, 1999 at 01:11:28PM +0100, Wichert Akkerman wrote:
> I finally got around to updating the configuration management documents
> somewhat yesterday. Besides adding the things we have discussed recently
> I split the text up into 4 different sections, since the different
> modules of the design can very well be used independently.
>
> The new docs are available at http://www.debian.org/~wakkerma/config6/
Hmmm. Some comments.
Do we really want most packages to have configuration scripts? Wouldn't
it be nicer to generally just have them say which variables need to be
filled (ie provide a file like the meta-database thing), and only have
more complicated packages have configuration scripts. Then the postinst
script can just run:
foo=`dpkg-getvar mypkg/foo/bar`
and be done with it?
I'd like to be able to say: ``Please specify an upstream proxy. You
probably want to choose one of:
us.v27.distributed.net (United States, Canada)
euro.v27.distributed.net (Europe)
asia.v27.distributed.net (Asia)
aussie.v27.distributed.net (Australia, New Zealand)''
Could we have something like... hmmm,
] Template: distributed-net-pproxy/proxy
] Type: string
] Default: us.v27.distributed.net
] United States and Canada
] Default: euro.v27.distributed.net
] Europe
] Default: asia.v27.distributed.net
] Asia
] Default: aussie.v27.distributed.net
] Australia
] Description: Which proxy should your personal proxy connect to?
(if you have multiple defaults, there shoule be some way of commenting on
what the differences between the defaults are)
If so, what's a good format for this? The above seems a little, well,
dodgy.
It might also be good to have some way of saying "you may only use one of
the defaults", which might be approrpriate for exim/smail/sendmail's postinst
"Which of these is most like your setup?" question.
Should there be some sort of "Mandatory: yes" flag, so you can
differentiate between requiring a device to spool to for a printer, and
optionally having a magicfilter for it?
Is there any difference between `types' and `variables'? Should there be?
ie, again from dist-net-pp, I have the following variables:
rc5-min-keys -- how many rc5 keys should the pproxy ensure it has?
rc5-max-keys -- how many should it get at most?
rc5-done-keys -- how many should it do at once?
des-min-keys -- how many des keys should the pproxy ensure it has?
des-max-keys -- how many should it get at most?
des-done-keys -- how many should it do at once?
Which seems like it could use something like: (if you'll excuse the syntax)
Container dnpp/key-info
Num dnpp/key-info/min-keys
Num dnpp/key-info/max-keys
Num dnpp/key-info/done-keys
Variable dnpp/rc5-keys : dnpp/key-info
Variable dnpp/des-keys : dnpp/key-info
Variable dnpp/proxy : string { see above }
Variable dnpp/message : string
In particular, I don't what "many" key-infos, I want an "rc5" one and a
"des" one.
A container that allows multiple copies of itself (or one included in a
list, however it gets done), should probably have some way of specifying
an index field, and/or unique-ness fields (primary and secondary keys,
ie), ie, some way of saying "You've got three printers, lp1, lp2, and lp3;
click one for more details".
(Oh, having a "Multiple: yes" flag would make the printer/name example
prettier too)
Anyway. I've probably got some more comments, but I think those are all
that would stop me starting to write something. Hopefully. Maybe.
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.''
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