Bug#548230: dropbear: configuration in /etc/<package> does not follow FHS

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

Package: tech-ctte
Severity: normal

CONCERNING

    "dropbear: Please patch sources not to use /etc/dropbear/{log,run}"
    http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=545242

SUMMARY

    I'm calling for a decision of reported bug in dropbear: "not to
    install anything else than configuration files to /etc."

    Maintainer has reject a proposal to move the scrips from
    /etc/<package>/ and to remove symlink pointing to directory /var/log

A REQUEST

    I'm hoping the committee to examine the FHS and it's appliance in
    Debian when there are no strong technical reasons to deviate from
    it. I feel that the decision is important and that it will set the
    direction how the FHS is to be interpreted in Debian.

    I believe, in technical wise, the issues itself are easily
    correctable in the package.

DETAILS

    The problems in the package were identified as follows:

    (1) /etc/dropbear/run is an executable
    (2) /etc/dropbear/log is a symlink pointing to /var/log/dropbear

    Suggestions made in the bug report to:

    (1) Move /etc/dropbear/run to /var/lib/dropbear/run and read
    configuration file /etc/dropbear/run.conf. A skeleton code to do
    this was provided in the bug report.

    (2) Remove /etc/dropbear/log. There is a separate FHS directory
    /var/log dedicated for this purpose. If a configurable location for
    log files is needed, add a configuration file to control the
    location.

RELATED STANDARDS

    http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#ETCHOSTSPECIFICSYSTEMCONFIGURATION

        The /etc hierarchy contains configuration files. A
        "configuration file" is a local file used to control the
        operation of a program; it must be static and cannot be an
        executable binary.

AGREEMENTS

    Both I and maintainer acknowledge that /etc/init.d/ directory is
    special and is used for scripts, so the FHS, due to de facto
    history, does not apply there.

DISAGREEMENTS

1) Symlinks

    I: Symlinks are "not real configuration files" as per FHS. They
    can't be put under version control (not all VCS support symlinks).
    They can't be "diffed" e.g. to compare two setups. The program can
    be designed to read the log directory location from a separate file
    that can cotain a line like "logdir = /var/log".

    Maintainer: There is no problem. "A symlink" is a valid
    configuration file:

        /etc/dropbear/log -> /var/log/dropbear

2) Executables

    I: Excutables should not apperar under "/etc/<package>" as per FHS.
    Similar problems as above. Not all tools can preserve executable
    flags: version control, use of zip for backups etc. The executables
    can be placed elsewhere; like /var/lib/<package>. The program can
    read /etc/<package>/run.conf.

    Maintainer: There is no problem. Scripts are "configuration files"
    and can be stored in /etc/<package>, They are not FHS-incompatible;
    see the precedence e.g. in cases of /etc/init.d.

Jari