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Re: Bug#224828: Split config file is worrying...



On Mon, 2003-12-22 at 07:31, Anthony DeRobertis wrote:
> Package: exim4-config
> Version: 4.24-3
> Severity: wishlist
> 
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> 
> [ Yes, I know about the /etc/exim4/exim.conf override, and I'm using
>   it. ]
> 
> I wish the split-out config file would go away. I have read the
> rationale for it in README.Debian, and, honestly, those sound like
> drawbacks!

The best part *IS* the split out. I can add or remove "pieces".

I am running Hundreds of changes in my config for Debian Exim4. I
believe that the Config  is a Brilliant use. Think about xinetd, a
similar directory work exceptionally well for it. Additionally I use a
very similar setup for managing my virtual apache hosting. 

> For simple configurations such as with just debconf, you won't touch
> anything in /etc/exim4. Or, if you do, the changes will be very small,
> and merging the changes will be trivial. And upgrades will be
> infrequent
> (with stable releasing every two years or so). So the first bullet
> point, "it means less work for you when upgrading" seems to not apply
> to
> these users.

Exim4 suits simple prospects with the update-exim4.conf.conf. 

If you need additional add-ins or anything... then you can.

> For more complicated configurations, those changes --- possibly even
> including new or removed files --- happening without ANY prompting and
> any chance to merge your changes --- is very worrying.

That is all part of making you config properly. For add-ins I use I
numbers that are not the same as what the packages deem. Think large
scale... changes are made in pieces not wholesale.

> It seems quite likely to break things. Honestly, with how likely it is
> to break something, I believe it goes against the spirit of Policy
> 10.7.3. Because of this, people like me who are making extensive
> changes to the default config can't use the split-out config.

If you use extensive changes, go with the flow and make additional files
in those directories (like main, acl, routers, transports...).

My transports directory has a few hundred files in it. I have a few
dozen routers... that use expansions. I have ~200 ACL sets, all separate
files. It allows me to tailor my domain or user specific configs for and
label them usefully without having to go through a 3MB ASCII File (with
comments).

> As to the second point, that seems likely to break things, too. exim
> config files are too inter-dependent to have random packages adding
> things in. It'll probably work with the debconf defaults. I doubt
> it'll work with much else.

Not likely, I have gone from exim v4.20 -> 4.22 -> 4.24 -> 4.30

The only thing that has broken on me... a typo by me.

Personally, I find it more able to transfer a setup similar to this to
another machine.

I have transferred this format of config to every machine running exim4
I have and "it just works".

I'd much prefer working with several hundred smaller 5-25 line files,
meaningfully named vs. grepping through a HUGE ASCII file and possibly
losing track of where I am.
-- 
greg, greg@gregfolkert.net
REMEMBER ED CURRY! http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry

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