Re: Proposal: Automatic query servicing for dpkg installation scripts
Hi,
This is currently being discussed on debian-policy. Ian has
made (IMHO) an excellent list of requirements for a tool to
enable us to do this:
Ian> Yes, we do need something like this.
Ian> Properties that it needs to have include, in no particular order:
Ian> 1. Questions may need to be `independent' of any particular package.
Ian> 2. Only a particular package can determine which questions need to be
Ian> asked in what order; in particular, following questions can depend on
Ian> the previous ones. This means that we can't specify the questions in
Ian> advance in a file. Instead, we have to put the information in
Ian> command-line arguments to the query program.
Ian> 3. Questions should have a `name' that is textual (not numeric), and
Ian> is separate from the prompt string. Given 1. the name should probably
Ian> have a hierarchical structure. Given 2. there needs to be a way to
Ian> put arbitrary `parameters' into the `name'.
Ian> 4. There should be a way to specify how `important' it is that a
Ian> question be asked, and an environment variable or something to specify
Ian> how willing we are to prompt, so that we can tune the level of
Ian> prompting.
Ian> 5. The interface should be suitable for changing the UI later (eg,
Ian> plain-text, fullscreen text, X or whatever).
Ian> 6. The database format used to cache answers should be editable by
Ian> humans.
Ian> 7. The query program should be the same as the retrieve-question
Ian> program, so that the database of previous questions acts as a cache
Ian> for the user.
Ian> 8. If the query program cannot prompt but the arguments say it needs
Ian> to then it should indicate this with a nonzero exit status, which will
Ian> (hopefully) cause the script to bomb out.
Ian> 9. Valid responses should be specified by regexp (preferably a
Ian> reasonably fully-featured regexp like a Perl one) not a glob.
Ian> 10. Metacharacters in prompts and data should work completely
Ian> correctly.
Ian> Ian.
manoj
--
It is the curse of talent that, although it labors with greater
steadiness and perseverance than genius, it does not reach its goal,
while genius, already on the summit of the ideal, gazes laughingly
about. --anonymous
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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