Re: /etc/shells management

[Josip Rodin <joy@srce.hr>]

On Tue, Sep 09, 2003 at 09:10:15AM -0400, Daniel Martin wrote:
> >>>> I'd propose a Policy amendment dropping support for this
> >>>> long-obsolete dpkg behavior, but I reckon I've lost my
> >>>> Policy-amendment-proposing credentials in your eyes.
> >
> >>> I would support it.
> >
> >>        Why?
> >
> > It is cruft and policy has over 300KB. Afaik policy's purpose is not
> > to document historical behaviour in dpkg but technical requirements
> > for packages in Debian.
> 
> Perhaps we could add a compromise?  Say, modifying the paragraph in
> question to read:
> 
>      If there is no most recently configured version `dpkg' will pass
>      a null argument.
> 
>      (Historical note: Truly ancient (pre-1997) versions of dpkg
>      passed `<unknown>' (including the angle brackets) in this case.
>      Even older ones did not pass a second argument at all, under any
>      circumstance.  Note that upgrades using such an old dpkg version
>      are unlikely to work for other reasons, even if this old argument
>      behavior is handled by your postinst script.)
> 
> So historical notes about dpkg are there, but where they belong - in a
> parenthetical historical note.  I think this improves the clarity of
> the document as a whole.

Or simply use the fine <footnote> tag.

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.