Policy on configuration files(Re: Moving conffiles)

[Atsuhito Kohda <kohda@pm.tokushima-u.ac.jp>]

From: Bob Hilliard <hilliard@debian.org>
Subject: Moving conffiles
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 17:50:58 -0500

>      The dictd package has only used one conffile, /etc/dictd.conf.
> Enhancements in the new upstream version make it desirable to add
> several more conffiles, so policy recommends using a subdirectory of
> /etc for the package's conffiles.
> 
>      Is it legal to create /etc/dictd/ and move /etc/dictd.conf to
> that subdirectory in the preinst?  If so, should I have debconf
> notify the user that the conffile has been moved?

You are lucky enough if you could use old dictd.conf
with the new dictd too only by moving its location.

For a configuration file which is very deeply system related 
and sufficiently stable, it might be possible to satify the
current policy on configuration files but I suspect there are 
many cases where an enhancement of an upstream completely changes 
configuration files (format, filename, etc.), especially in user 
application programs and it is very difficult to satisfy the
current policy.

I feel that the current policy prevents sane advance of
packages.  At least I have an impression that policy condition
on configuration files should be splitted into ones which are 
system relevant and must (and could) preserve user's modifications
strictly and others which admit more flexible treatment.

Of course there might be more good, reasonable way of splitting.

Best regards,		      2003-1-17(Fri)

-- 
 Debian Developer & Debian JP Developer - much more I18N of Debian
 Atsuhito Kohda <kohda@debian.org>
 Department of Math., Tokushima Univ.