volatile data in packages
Several times there have been suggestions for exclusions to the policy
regarding new packages in stable for certain types of data. One example is
virus definitions for scanners. Another example that comes to mind is the
configuration files for postgrey (which contain data about the behaviour that
has been discovered in mail servers on the Internet - an upgrade or policy
change to a server could require changes to the configuration files).
Maybe it would be a good idea to have a special category of package for such
data. Such packages would have only data files (no scripts or binaries) and
only the very simplest pre/postinst scripts (such as restarting the daemon in
question).
Of course such package splits would be convenient even if we don't have any
special treatment (it would make it easier for back-ports repositories, and
reduce the amount of data that changes on stable systems). But I think that
it would be good if such config files could be changed in stable.
--
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