Re: Running cdebconf. Status and RFC

["Regis Boudin" <regis@boudin.name>]

Hi Joey,

On Thu, October 6, 2011 16:07, Joey Hess wrote:
> Regis Boudin wrote:
>>  * debconf/frontend: debconf and cdebconf have different names for the
>> frontends (Readline, Dialog, Gnome, versus text, newt, gtk), which
>> causes
>> all sorts of issues for the transition. Any objection to using
>> cdebconf/frontend instead ?
>
> Not really, but the rest of d-i would need to be checked for uses of it.

That part should be fine, I can keep the existing checks for both the old
and new fields.

>>  * When switching from debconf to cdebconf, there is the problem of the
>> database. One uses /var/cache/debconf, the other /var/lib/cdebconf by
>> default, meaning either it has to be migrated, or cdebconf will have to
>> use /var/cache/debconf. The main issue of migrating the database is in
>> the case of a system wide upgrade where cdebconf would actually replace
>> debconf. Between the package being unpacked and the postinst script
>> being
>> run, the database will be unconfigured ; so any other package trying to
>> use debconf in this interval won't have access to the previously set
>> values. This includes triggers, e.g. in the man-db postinst.
>> Do you have any opinion in the long term ? In the short term, I could
>> include the migration script for people willing to test, but I would
>> like
>> someone else's view on it before I do it.
>
> I can see no way around debconf and cdebconf using the same database,
> perhaps a preinst would need to move it and set up a symlink so debconf
> still sees it?

That could actually be a solution. I'll try something along these lines,
and make a new release with only the (c)debconf/frontend change in the
meantime.

Thanks for the answer and suggstion.

Regis