Re: Usage of debconf from init scripts

[Sam Hartman <hartmans@mit.edu>]

I think that limiting the use of debconf to postinst and config
scripts would be a good idea.  (There may be certain specific
applications designed to manipulate the database that use confmodule
outside of these environments; I am not trying to speak to such
special cases either positively or negatively.)

Remember that one of the design goals of Debconf was to allow a
flexible configuration system that could meet the configuration needs
of many users in many environments.  It might be reasonable, for
example, for Debconf to go to network repositories of configuration
information.

In such a future situation, when confmodule was used, the network
would need to be available.  Requiring network work for new software
installation (especially when the images happen to be on the network
in an environment) seems reasonable.  However, requiring that the
network be available for your init script to run seems excessive.
This is especially true of laptops.

I suggest that your postinst script write out the configuration
information you need.

--Sam