Bug#2409: xbase always asks question about xdm, and conffiles prompt
Chris Fearnley writes:
>
> 'Ian Jackson wrote:'
> >
> >Chris Fearnley writes ("Re: Bug#2409: xbase always asks question about xdm, and conffiles prompt"):
> >...
> >> Is there a scratch directory where packages can store [...]
> >> information [like whether to start xdm]? Something like
> >> /etc/configs? I find the clutter in /etc with papersize and so on
> >> too complicating. I'd prefer a subdirectory of /etc where this type
> >> of info can be stored. Red Hat uses a subdirectory /etc/sysconfig.
> >> I much prefer their approach here.
> >
> >/etc only contains system configuration files already, so making a
> >subdirectory of it named `sysconfig' is probably a bad idea :-).
> >
> >What distinction did you want to make between files or directories
> >that ought to be in /etc itself and those you wanted in the
> >subdirectory ?
>
> /etc/files-with-little-tinsy-notes-that-are-parsed-by-other-scripts-in-etc.
> OK, that's too long. After a few minutes thought, I've convinced
> myself that I shouldn't be the one to pick a name :) The files I'm
> referring to are things like /etc/papersize, /etc/gpm-mousetype
> (doesn't exist yet), /etc/xdm, etc.
>
> For example, Red Hat's /etc/sysconfig/clock has the single line:
> CLOCKMODE="GMT"
> And in /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit, Red Hat has this code:
> echo -n "Setting clock: "
> . /etc/sysconfig/clock
> if [ ${CLOCKMODE} = "GMT" ]; then
> clock -u -s
> else
> clock -s
>
> It seems a simple and elegant way to store this type of info and keep
> /etc/init.d/* files pristine accross upgrades. [Except that they
> should test for the existence of /etc/sysconfig/clock, just in case.]
IRIX uses /etc/config/ from memory, I think this would be a useful
addition.
Andrew
--
Dehydration - 34%, Recollection of previous evening - 2%, embarrassment
factor - 91%. Advise repair schedule:- off line for 36 hours, re-boot
startup disk, and replace head - wow, what a night!
-- Kryten in Red Dwarf `The Last Day'
Andrew Howell andrew@it.com.au
Perth, Western Australia howellaa@cs.curtin.edu.au
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