Re: Bug#225465: debian-policy: packages must give choice to not start at boot, via debconf

[Dan Jacobson <jidanni@jidanni.org>]

>>>>> "Will" == Will Lowe <harpo@thebackrow.net> writes:

Will> This needs to be a question with a priority of "low".

Yes.  A package should do its normal starting or not starting at
boot.  Only if the user does dpkg-reconfigure, thus running at "low"
priority, would they encounter that level of a question.

>> to not start them at boot, stern warnings should be placed not to
>> chose to not start... note in every case we still force the maintainer

Will> I think this will result in lots of stern warnings, which will result
Will> in either terrified users or users who simply ignore all stern
Will> warnings.

hmmm, OK, how about: only those packages that "just must start at
boot, otherwise the package is useless" can be excluded from needing
to provide a debconf way of making them not start at boot.

Furthermore, regarding
  /etc/default/$package /etc/init.d/$package
  file-rc.d update-rc.d /etc/$package/dont_start_at_boot
  /etc/rc.d/... rm /etc/rc2.d/S??daemonname runlevel doc-debian rm
  /etc/rc*.d/*ircd-hybrid invoke-rc.d "S*" links; apt-get install
  file-rc, and edit the file-rc config file; pretty GUI configurator
  thingies initscripts. policy-rc.d; "service manager";

Good thing Limited Edition Brain user me is here to remind you all
this is uncomfortable for us mere low brain power user types to use.

We would be much more comfortable with
# dpkg-reconfigure bla
You may need to use Bla only rarely and would wish to start it from
the command line when needed, instead of having it running all the
time. Choose 1. run all the time <default>, 2 ....

So, with we mere users able to control it via dpkg-reconfigure, the
brain wracking implementation details can finally be masked from
users.

Henrique>  2.  It does NOT touch the packages themselves

but not all packages are the same, the developer sometimes wants a
voice into just how to make his package not start at boot, only ppp, etc.

The developer would have the choice to offer the user the default
future dpkg-reconfigure way of making his package not start at boot.
Or the developer could instead offer a more elaborate way.

Perhaps in the default way, even the file-rc.d / invoke-rc.d or
whatever differences could even be hidden from the developer.

In whatever cases, all that stuff must be hidden from the user.
dpkg-reconfigure should be his one-stop shopping point.  He should not
need to be hip to some FAQ somewhere.  Why: because dpkg-reconfigure
asks him questions that sure sound right up the alley of "to start at
boot or not", so he shouldn't be expected to look elsewhere.

And, while the mechanisms of not starting at boot constantly develop
and change, all this can be hidden from the user and we can get
busy giving the user the power right away, with implementation details
hidden under the hood and easy to change later without harassing the user.