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Re: Environment Script System



On 12-Aug-03, 14:59 (CDT), Otto Wyss <wyo@users.sourceforge.net> wrote: 
> > I'd still think it was a bad idea, though. In general, the reason we
> > need .d directories is so that packages can install separate files in
> > them. Since packages aren't allowed to depend on environment variables,
> > that just leaves the administrator, who can equally well use
> > /etc/environment.
> 
> I'm puzzled?! I can understand that debian packages may not depend on
> env variables during installaion/removement but packages may install env
> variables which might be used later during normal work (i.e.
> compilation). Could someone clear this?

You misunderstand. Policy says that packages/programs may not depend on
the existence of environment variables for normal operation. It does not
apply just to package installation and removal.

Of course, this is not to say that they can't detect and use environment
variables, just that they must have sensible defaults when they aren't
found. Therefore, since the only purpose of the env.d like directory is
for packages to put default environment variables, we don't need one:
the defaults should be built in.

Steve
-- 
Steve Greenland
    The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating
    system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the
    world.       -- seen on the net



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