RFC: ODBC, local changes to config files, and policy
Hi all,
A number of years back, I implemented some maintainer script logic for
several of the ODBC drivers available in Debian which would allow the ODBC
drivers to be automatically registered and unregistered with the driver
manager, using the 'odbcinst' utility that's provided upstream.
However, this has never been enabled by default because the odbcinst
interface is very basic, with the result that on every upgrade any local
modifications to the config for this driver would be lost. The debconf
question is also not shown at the default priority in order to not clutter
the installation process.
There are long-standing bugs report requesting that this be changed:
http://bugs.debian.org/250850 - myodbc
http://bugs.debian.org/362012 - tdsodbc
No action has been taken on these bugs, because I can't see a good way to
comply with this request and also comply with policy's requirements on local
changes at the same time; and I don't want to get into a situation where the
user is never shown the question (good), and as a result local changes to
/etc/odbcinst.ini will be lost (bad).
Short of rearchitecting odbcinst to require an exact config match before
update/removal (which would lose us the ability to manage driver config
updates in any case), can anyone suggest a way to enable this by default
while still complying with policy? Am I being more cautious than warranted
in this case where local user changes are concerned?
Cheers,
--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
slangasek@ubuntu.com vorlon@debian.org
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