Re: [desktop] Unix configuration nightmare
On Tue, Oct 22, 2002 at 09:46:57PM +1300, John Morton wrote:
> On Tue, 22 Oct 2002 21:05, Mark Howard wrote:
> > - Write an entirely new configuration format to be used by all programs.
> > Write friendly programs for editing these
>
> This is pretty much what debconf is all about.
Nonsense. debconf is a set of scripts for creating an initial
configuration for programs that need such a thing. debconf's internal
configuration storage is private and it offers no generic API for custom
applications.
> > - Modify/Merge webmin/debconf/xst/gconf/... so that there is a single
> > tool with multiple interfaces. This would most probably require a small
> > script to be written for each program.
>
> This is pretty much how debconf actually works.
It is?
> > The problem: something has to be done for every program being used.
>
> Not really - just most of the stuff that people use on a regular basis that
> you'd consider infrastructure for getting real work done. X but not apache,
> mta's for workstations but not for university, for example. If everything in
> Standard or above where configurable with debconf so that 80% of the people
> can get the system running happily 80% of the time without having to grovel
> about in configuration files, then I think we're doing all right. Add more
> debconf to the rest of the desktop workstation oriented packages and you're
> most of the way there.
What you describe here is actually what debconf is for. debconf
certainly isn't a general-purpose configuration tool.
- Sebastian
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