Re: problem with update-inetd!

[Paul Slootman <paul@wau.mis.ah.nl>]

On Sat 05 Feb 2000, Turbo Fredriksson wrote:

> Could someone please explain this?
> 
> ----- s n i p -----
> [donald.ttyp0]$ grep ident /etc/inetd.conf
> ident           stream  tcp     wait    identd  /usr/sbin/identd        identd
> [donald.ttyp0]$ sudo update-inetd --disable ident
> [donald.ttyp0]$ grep ident /etc/inetd.conf
> #<off># ident           stream  tcp     wait    identd  /usr/sbin/identd        identd
> [donald.ttyp0]$ sudo update-inetd --group INFO --add "ident              stream  tcp     nowait  identd  /usr/sbin/midentd midentd"
> [donald.ttyp0]$ grep ident /etc/inetd.conf
> ident           stream  tcp     wait    identd  /usr/sbin/identd        identd
> [donald.ttyp0]$ 
> ----- s n i p -----

The update-inetd script is seriously unstable. I've also submitted a bug
#56251 about it grepping incorrectly (it removes a line

Anyway, the problem you're seeing is that if there's a disabled service
in inetd.conf and you're adding a line for that service, the old one is
explicitly re-enabled instead of using the supplied one. I think this is
covered by the manpage entry for DebianNet (whose routines are used by
update-inetd):

DESCRIPTION
       You can use the  functions  in  DebianNet.pm  to  to  add,
       remove,  enable  or disable entries in the /etc/inetd.conf
       file. After the /etc/inetd.conf file has been  changed,  a
       SIGHUP  signal  will  be sent to the inetd process to make
       sure that inetd will use the new /etc/inetd.conf file. The
       functions  can  also  be used to add entries that are com­
       mented out by default. They will be  treated  like  normal
       entries. That also means that if you already have an entry
       that is commented out you can't add an entry for the  same
       service without removing the old one first.

Note especially the last line. And from the update-inetd manpage:

              If you are trying to add  an  entry  which  already
              exists update-inetd won't add the entry. For uncom­
              mented entries it will do nothing and  for  entries
              that  are  commented  out by the comment-chars (see
              option --comment-chars ) it will enable the  exist­
              ing  entry.  If  you  want to completely replace an
              entry just  remove  the  entry  with  the  --remove
              option first.

So you have to --remove the entry instead of --disable-ing it.
Why it doesn't infer your intentions from the arguments you give it,
I don't know. Unfortunately the current behaviour seems to be on
purpose.


Paul Slootman
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