Re: Bug#224828: Split config file is worrying...
Cameron Patrick <cameron@patrick.wattle.id.au> wrote:
> Andreas Metzler wrote:
> | I want to allow people to choose between monolithic and split,
> Yes.
> | and therefore need to safe this informatin in
> | /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf to modify update-exim4.conf's
> | behavior accordingly.
> No. update-exim4.conf can determine whether the admin wants to use a
> monolithic config file by whether or not the admin has edited that
> config file. I described a mechanism for doing that below, which is
> based on what X uses for choosing between hand-edited and dexconf-generated
> configuration.
What you proposed was not a scheme to allow to choose between
monolithic and split but between managed by debconf and edited by
hand.
[...]
> | The whole point of /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template is that it is _not_ a
> | generated file but a dpkg-conffile, update-exim4.conf *may* *not*
> | touch it.
> Hmm, that's a good point. The way X does it is to have XF86Config-4
> /not/ listed as a conffile, but instead create it in the postinst and
> provide conffile-like handling for it (i.e. by always preserving user
> changes in it).
[...]
I see. You misunderstood me. The way Branden chose for X and the
thing I offered (exim4.conf.template) are completely different things:
* .template is just conf.d concatenated together, it still uses
u-ex4.conf to merge dpkg-conffile(s) (.template) and a _properly_ [1]
debconf managed configuration file (update-exim4.conf.conf).
* OTOH afaik the X11 packages use an ucf-like[2] approach, dexconf
generates the file and the md5sum is saved, next time the dexconf
scripts run (upgrade or dpkg-reconfigure) first it is checked whether
the saved md5sum matches, if it does not the file won't be touched,
otherwise it will be overwritten by dexconf and the new md5sum is
saved.[3]
I won't explain the pros and cons of either approach here unless
somebody asks for it.
cu andreas
[1] That is: It may be changed with debconf or with an editor, and
debconf will parse it.
[2] It is not ucf, afair there is no dpkg-like prompting if you edited
the file.
[3] I might be misrepresenting it as I am still using woody's X11 and
have direct experience with the sarge or sid packages.
--
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Unofficial _Debian-packages_ of latest unstable _tin_
http://www.logic.univie.ac.at/~ametzler/debian/tin-snapshot/
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