Re: [david@eelf.ddts.net: Re: why do we care about configuration files?]
>> On Fri, 18 Apr 2003 17:36:01 -0500 (CDT),
>> J Brown (Ender/Amigo) <debian@enderboi.com> said:
>> 3) Impatient but advanced user
>> Somebody who dislikes being asked repeatedly whether or not a
>> conffile can be overwritten. This user has tested
>> xserver-xfree86's debconf interface, and has taken the time to
>> understand how xserver-xfree86's postinst generates the
>> configuration file based on the debconf information. He is very
>> confident in it doing the right thing, and doesn't want to be
>> bothered on each upgrade about whether or not it can overwrite
>> it. More importantly, this user knows full well that, in the very
>> rare circumstance where it *does* break, he can easily fix it
>> within minutes.
>> This user will likely feel the same way about almost all
>> debconf/postinst-managed configuration files, excepting the few
>> which he knows will break repeatedly. He doesn't want to get asked
>> 50 "may I overwrite your file?" questions each upgrade. He knows
>> that in the time spent reading and answering all those questions,
>> he could just has easily fixed the two cases of breakage. Which he
>> would have to do in addition to answering the questions, were they
>> forced upon him.
If you use ucf like mechanisms, and you acpet the first
debconf generated file, then you will never be asked to over write
your file -- since the md5sum of the installed file shall match the
previous maintainer version. Bingo, we cater to all these use cases
at once.
manoj
--
We are MicroSoft. You will be assimilated. Resistance is
futile. (Attributed to B.G., Gill Bates)
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
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