Bug#412976 repoened - reassign tech-ctte (mixmaster /etc/default/*)

[Jari Aalto <jari.aalto@cante.net>]

[BTS control messages were sent separately]

I ask resolution for the following dispute

    http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=412976

    Please find resolution to the dispute where a bug was filed to ask
    to use /etc/default/mixmaster to control the daemon start/stop
    behavior.

    The package maintainer disagrees and has closed the bug.

Introduction

    The bug report was based on understanding of the Policy's section:

    9.3.2. Writing the scripts
    --------------------------

         Often there are some variables in the `init.d' scripts whose values
    !    control the behavior of the scripts, and which a system administrator
    !    is likely to want to change.  As the scripts themselves are frequently
         `conffile's, modifying them requires that the administrator merge in
         their changes each time the package is upgraded and the `conffile'
         changes.  To ease the burden on the system administrator, such
         configurable values should not be placed directly in the script.
    !    Instead, they should be placed in a file in `/etc/default', which
         typically will have the same base name as the `init.d' script.  This
         extra file should be sourced by the script when the script runs.  It
         must contain only variable settings and comments in POSIX `sh' format.
         It may either be a `conffile' or a configuration file maintained by
         the package maintainer scripts.  See Section 10.7, `Configuration
         files' for more details.

    Marked lines (!) were the basis of the bug, where "control of
    behavior" was undestood as "control the start or stop the daemon".

Background and history

    The current mixmaster contains configurations files:

        /etc/mixmaster/
            allpingers.txt
            client.conf
            filter.conf
            network.conf
            remailer
        !   remailer.conf
            update.conf

    Of which, the marked (!) file contains line:

        REMAIL n

    The line is used by the

        /etc/init.d/mixmaster

    to decide if the daemon will start at boot or via "start" command.

Compatibility and benefits

    If the setting were in /etc/default/*, the benefits are would be as
    policy says: "To ease the burden on the system administrator". To
    keep the control settings in a canonical place would make the
    packages and programs more manageable in the long run.

    Other packages that use the daemon control settings:

        $ grep -i enable /etc/default/*

        bind9:              ENABLE=no
        bootlogd:           BOOTLOGD_ENABLE=No
        cryptdisks:         CRYPTDISKS_ENABLE=Yes
        dbus:               ENABLED=1
        debtorrent-client:  DEBTORRENT_ENABLE=true
        debtorrent-tracker: DEBTORRENT_TRACKER_ENABLE=false
        mon:                ENABLED="yes"
        rsync:              RSYNC_ENABLE=false
        spamassassin:       ENABLED=1
        ...

Jari