policy violation and bug reports.
Hi,
It has been brought to my attention that there are a number of
packages that violate current policy with regards to conffiles, and I
do not think there is a reason to do so. I shall file bugs forthwith
unless there are compelling objections to doing so.
There may be arguments that the upstream package expects these
conffiles elsewhere, like in /var, but in these case the maintainer
should either modify the program, or use symbolic links into
/etc. There are numerous examples of programs doing the right thing,
and there is no reason the remainder of the packages do not do so.
For the vast number of high scores files: Do *NOT* make the
score files conf files, instead, in the postinst, touch the score
highfile and set the correct permissions, and delete the file while
purging in the postrm. OK?
Also, App defaults are *NOT conffiles.
For the other, a creative use of symbolic links is in order.
The issues in question are:
______________________The__Policy__Manual____________________________
3.3.7. Configuration files
--------------------------
Any configuration files created or used by your package should reside
in `/etc'. If there are several you should consider creating a
subdirectory named after your package.
It is almost certain that any file in `/etc' that is in your package's
filesystem archive should be listed in dpkg's `conffiles' control area
file. (See the *Debian Packaging Manual*).
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________The___Packaging__Manual________________________
9.1 Automatic handling of configuration files by dpkg
A package may contain a control area file called conffiles. This file
should be a list of filenames of configuration files needing automatic
handling, separated by newlines. The filenames should be absolute
pathnames, and the files referred to should actually exist in the
package.
______________________________________________________________________
The violators in question are:
======================================================================
conf file in bin directories!!
______________________________________________________________________
tob.conffiles:/sbin/tob
wmaker.conffiles:usr/X11R6/bin/wmaker
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
Create a symlink. for these assorted files
______________________________________________________________________
lesstif-bin.conffiles:usr/X11R6/lib/X11/mwm/system.mwmrc
dosemu.conffiles:/var/lib/dosemu/hdimage.first
mime-support.conffiles:/var/lib/mime/mime-db
slrn.conffiles:/var/spool/slrnpull/slrnpull.conf
sysnews.conffiles:/var/news/WELCOME
snns.conffiles:/usr/lib/snns/default.cfg
spamdb.conffiles:/usr/lib/spamdb/constants
spamdb.conffiles:/usr/lib/spamdb/procmail.recipe
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
Put these somewhere in /etc/default/root.bashrc and so on, and copy
them to /root in the postinst, unless the files are already
present. If files present, put a notice on the screen. These should
not be conffiles
______________________________________________________________________
base-files.conffiles:/root/.bash_profile
base-files.conffiles:/root/.bashrc
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
Can I say, /etc/named/?
______________________________________________________________________
bind.conffiles:/var/named/named.root
bind.conffiles:/var/named/named.local
bind.conffiles:/var/named/named.rev-local
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
App defaults are explicitly *NOT conf files
______________________________________________________________________
exmh.conffiles:/usr/lib/exmh/app-defaults
exmh.conffiles:/usr/lib/exmh/app-defaults-mono
exmh.conffiles:/usr/lib/exmh/app-defaults-color
xcal.conffiles:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XCal.help
xearth.conffiles:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XEarth
xephem-smotif.conffiles:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XEphem
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
Please create a /etc/debian-cd/, and put the files in there. create a
forrest of symlinks if you can't chage the program.
______________________________________________________________________
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/abstract
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/always-exclude
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/application-identifier
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/architecture
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/archive
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/bibliography
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/code-name
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/copyright
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/preparer
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/publisher
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/release
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/system-identifier
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/target
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/volume-identifier
debian-cd.conffiles:/usr/src/debian-cd/vars/volume-set-name
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
Sigh. High score files in /var/games. Please people, these should not
be in the package at *all*, just touch the files in the postinst ans
set the correct permissions there. Remove on purge in postrm. OK?
______________________________________________________________________
bsdgames-nonfree.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames-nonfree/rogue.scores
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/atc_score
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/battlestar.log
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/cfscores
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/criblog
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/robots_roll
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/saillog
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/snake.log
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/snakerawscores
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/tetris-bsd.scores
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/characs
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/gold
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/lastdead
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/mess
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/motd
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/scoreboard
bsdgames.conffiles:/var/lib/games/bsdgames/phantasia/void
cxhextris.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xhextris-scores
gravitywars.conffiles:/var/lib/games/gravitywars/hscore.gw
maelstrom.conffiles:/var/lib/games/maelstrom/Maelstrom-Scores
mirrormagic.conffiles:/var/lib/games/mirrormagic/RAY.level
nethack.conffiles:/var/lib/games/nethack/logfile
nethack.conffiles:/var/lib/games/nethack/record
nighthawk.conffiles:/var/lib/games/nighthawk.scores
rocks-n-diamonds.conffiles:/var/lib/games/rocksndiamonds/ROCKS.levelinfo
thrust.conffiles:/var/lib/games/thrust.highscore
xbill.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xbill/scores
xboing.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xboing.score
xbomb.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xbomb/xbomb3.hi
xbomb.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xbomb/xbomb4.hi
xbomb.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xbomb/xbomb6.hi
xemeraldia.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xemeraldia.scores
xjewel.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xjewel.scores
xonix.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xonix.scores
xsoldier.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xsoldier.scores
xtet42.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xtet42/.xtet42.hiscore
xtet42.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xtet42/.xtet42.hiscore.single
xtrojka.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xtrojka.scores
______________________________________________________________________
======================================================================
non absolute conffile name:
______________________________________________________________________
arena.conffiles:etc/arenarc
crypt++el.conffiles:etc/emacs/site-start.d/50crypt++.el
devscripts.conffiles:etc/upload.sites
povray-misc.conffiles:etc/povray.ini
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/cgi-lib.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/informix_dbi.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/msql2_dbi.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/msql_dbi.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/mysql_dbi.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/postgres_dbi.pl
wdb.conffiles:etc/wdb/wdb.conf
wmaker.conffiles:etc/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu
wmaker.conffiles:etc/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes
wmaker.conffiles:etc/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Black.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Blue.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/BlueAluminum.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Brown.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Chumbo.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Copper.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/DarkBlue.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Food.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Golden.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Green.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/LightBlue.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Pastel.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Pumpkin.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Purple.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Rainbow_.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Red.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/RednBlue.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/Style/Traditional.style
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/wmmacros
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.cz
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.de
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.fr
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.gl
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.ja
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.ko
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.nl
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.pt
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu.it
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/menu
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/autostart.sh
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/appearance.menu
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/styles.menu
wmaker.conffiles:etc/X11/WindowMaker/background.menu
xloadimage.conffiles:etc/X11/Xloadimage
======================================================================
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