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Re: debconf and cluster management



>> Stephane Del Pino <delpino@ann.jussieu.fr> writes:

 > We did it here but since debconf is not in the policy it is not as
 > cool as it should be. All packages managed by debconf just install
 > like a charm, but the others required man intervention :-(

 AFAIK, the argument goes like this: "Hey, let's have this in policy"
 "Do the majority of (affected) packages do that already?" "Uhm, no..."
 "Bad luck then".

 To get debconf in policy most (affected) packages have to use it
 already.  Policy has shifted from "guidelines about what debian
 packages should do" to "documented practice".  What this means in
 practice is:

    * Make a list of packages not using debconf which should

    * Asses the ammount of work required to make the change.  Packages
      not using debconf already fall into two categories:

        + Those whose maintainer won't do it for whatever reason
          (usually, the package is hard to debconf'ize or the maintainer
          doesn't like debconf -- the API, the implementation languaje
          or just the bare idea)

        + Those which don't fit in the debconf schema

    * (now comes the tricky part) Either deboconf'ize the package
      yourself and submit patches (hats off to John Goerzen) or get the
      maintainer to do it.

    * Go back to step one.  If you manage to get to the point where less
      than 10% of the packages will get "thrown out of debian" once the
      change is made, bug -policy.

 It is in the best interest of this group to get this going on.

-- 
Marcelo             | "The knuckles! The horrible knuckles!"
mmagallo@debian.org |         -- (Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic)



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