Re: Silly Packaging Problem

["Michael S. Peek" <peek@tiem.utk.edu>]

Thanks for the help, Martin.

martin f krafft wrote:

> also sprach Michael S. Peek <peek@tiem.utk.edu> [2006.08.08.2124 +0100]:
>  
>
> > 2) I then divert this file.
> >    
>
> Diversions of conffiles are not supported. Check that
> /etc/courier/authdaemonrc is not a conffile. If it is, you could
> easily lose data in my experience.
>  

Got it!

> I suggest installing your files to /usr/local/share/etc/courier and
> then using ucf or just plain cat to modify the file in /etc/courier.
> This is how I solved the challenge in a cluster situation. You can
> force ucf to replace files by setting $UCF_FORCE_CONFFNEW .
>  

Okay, now this raises a question:

Let's say I do this.  I install courier-authdaemon, which installs 
/etc/courier/authdaemonrc.  Then I install my own package, 
tiem-courier-cfg, which installs a replacement authdaemonrc in, say, 
/usr/local/share/etc/courier/, and then uses ucf to copy it to 
/etc/courier/.

The next time there's an upgrade for courier-authdaemon, won't it 
overwrite my version of /etc/courier/authdaemonrc with it's own?  I 
thought that was the whole reason for diversions in the first place, but 
if diversions don't work for conffiles, then what is one to do?  Or does 
ucf work some magic to prevent this?

Is this kind of thing addressed in the Debian Policy Manual (and I just 
missed it)?

Thanks for your help,

Michael Peek