Re: need help in identifying changed files in pacakges, + general pacakging questions

[rdm@test.legislate.com]

Radu Duta <rduta@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> Another type of file that looked interesting is the .conffiles but I
> realized that for X apps the app-default is usually not included in
> the conffiles, which I think they should be, but maybe I misunderstand
> the role of conffiles. That would be isolate the configuration related
> files from the applications related files. For example the XTerm
> xdefaults from the xterm executable, or the man page, which should not
> be changed. The files that are not suppose to be changed should be
> watched with tripwire, if it's not done already. Any comments?

Here's a quote from the debian policy manual (from 4.6):

   Application defaults files have to be installed in the directory
   /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/. They are considered as part of
   the program code. Thus, they should not be modified and should not
   be tagged as conffile. If the local system administrator wants to
   customise X applications globally, the file /etc/X11/Xresources
   should be used.

Unfortunately, none of this sort of policy is particularly obvious to
the systems administrator.

I'd kind of like to see a package which depositted a .readme (or
.policy?) in every significant directory covered by the file system
standard and/or debian policy, describing policy for that directory,
and especially some kind of note on configuration.

I'd also like to see embedded comments in each significant file --
a url if nothing else -- for policy details pertinent to that file,
and on alternate locations where two or more files provide a "base +
configuration" sort of system.

-- 
Raul


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