Re: exim4-config and exim4-base installed on systems with non-exim-MTA

[Tore Anderson <tore@linpro.no>]

* Andreas Metzler

 >  Would you and Andreas seriously consider modifying the Exim packages
 > to the layout I suggested in my former post?  If so, I would be happy
 > to spend some time developing a patch for this purpose.

* Andreas Metzler

 > No, I am sorry (and thanks for the offer). You effectively proposed
 > repacking from scratch, which requires amounts of work and testing I
 > am not willing to invest.

  I suspected as much.  Likewise I am not willing to do that work if the
 patch was stillborn irregardless of its quality.

* Andreas Metzler

 > If you think conf.d sucks like hell (where did I get this idea from? ;-)

  No Shit, Sherlock.  :)

 > try providing a patch for exim4-config-sane, [...]

  I thought about it for a while, but I don't really think that'd be a
 good idea.  Although I'd certainly use such a package myself, I believe
 it's not worth bloating the archive with yet another config package.
 Afterall, I would rather see the one that's already there removed and
 its functionality merged into exim4-base[0].

 > [2] Or simply do without making separate packages, making conf.d
 > yes/no a medium debconf-question.

  Low.  But other than that, I think this is an excellent idea,
 see below.

* Andreas Metzler (in <[🔎] E1ASBFP-0000x3-3L@mid.downhill.at.eu.org>)

 > All they have to do is to install their configuration as
 > /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.

  I'm truly glad this is possible, and makes the conf.d stuff much
 more bearable.  However, it is still subpar, in my opinion, for if
 the user wants to do this, and implement minor modifications to
 the default config, he is totally on his own and won't get
 suggestions and fixes from you (as the maintainer) whenever the
 default configuration file changes.

  I got this idea that certainly will make me happy and which I
 think you might be inclided to consider for inclusion, though:

  We add a new option in update-exim4.conf.conf (and perhaps with
 a matching question in the debconf scripts, too) which, when
 enabled, would modify update-exim4.conf's behaviour to something
 like the following:

    * Enables --keepcomments
    * Suppresses the "generated dynamically" warning
    * After the concatination, it installs /v/l/e/config.autogenerated
      into /e/e/exim4.conf, with the appropriate checks for user
      modifications (ucf could be used for this)

      (Alternatively, replace /v/l/e/c.a with $(tempfile) and set
       --output to the latter.)

  ..and I would be able to modify /etc/exim4/exim4.conf as I'm used to,
 and still have the full power of your debconf scripts at my disposal,
 in addition to being automatically notified (and given the opportunity
 to attempt a merge) of changes and (security) fixes to the default
 configuration.

  conf.d could still be the default.  No, wait, it -must- be the
 default if ucf is to be used.

  What do you think?

 [0] I might be dense, but I still don't see why it was split out from
     exim4-base in the first place.

-- 
Tore Anderson