Bug#768815: apache2.2-common: debsums reports missing conffiles after wheezy -> jessie upgrade

[Stefan Fritsch <sf@sfritsch.de>]

Hi Andreas,

On Monday 10 November 2014 00:11:20, Andreas Beckmann wrote:
> On 2014-11-09 19:01, Stefan Fritsch wrote:
> > On Sunday 09 November 2014 14:21:34, Andreas Beckmann wrote:
> >> I'm not sure whether (or how) dpkg-maintscript-helper mv_conffile
> >> can be used reliably to rename a conffile and switch ownership to
> >> another package at the same time.
> > 
> > I don't see how there is any way to handle rename and takeofer of
> > conffiles at the same time at all. If the rename is done in
> > apache2.2- common, how would it know if something went wrong and
> > it has to revert the changes?
> 
> looks like we have the opportunity to test and implement this right
> now :-)
> 
> from the dpkg-maintscript-helper mv_conffile manpage:
> 
> Current  implementation:  the preinst checks if the conffile has
> been modified, if yes it's left on place otherwise it's renamed to
> old-conffile.dpkg-remove. On configuration, the postinst removes
> old- conffile.dpkg-remove and renames old-conffile to new-conffile
> if old-conffile is still available. On abort-upgrade/abort-install,
> the postrm renames old-conffile.dpkg-remove  back  to  old-conffile
>  if required.
> 
> that process would have to be distributed to two packages ...

I am very reluctant to implement something like this now that we are 
in the freeze. The upgrade logic in apache2 is already quite complex 
and has been tested for months. If we split the logic in two package, 
I fear there will be new bugs that will be difficult to find and fix 
until the release.

And in principle I think that apache2 does the right thing. It has 
Replaces: apache2.2-common and should be allowed to take over or 
delete conffiles from apache2.2-common.

I think it would be best to ask the dpkg maintainers if they can make 
dpkg recognize that the obsolete conffiles have been removed. If that 
is not feasible for Jessie, debsums or piuparts should work around 
this problem so that piuparts tests are still possible. Do you agree?

Cheers,
Stefan