Re: Putting default config files in /usr [was; (newbie) Disruptive LIRC package update.]
On Thu, 12 Nov 2015 10:24:48 -0800, Nikolaus Rath <Nikolaus@rath.org>
wrote:
>On Nov 11 2015, Marc Haber <mh+debian-devel@zugschlus.de> wrote:
>> Once and for all we're doing _SOMETHING_ right, let's keep it that
>> way.
>
>I think what Debian is doing right is that it tracks and notifies about
>changes in configuration files. But that doesn't mean we have
>implemented it in the right (or best) way.
Of course not. One improvement would for example be to deprecate dpkg
conffile handling and make it desired or mandatory for Debian packages
to use an (improved[1]) ucf for their conffile handling. In a next
step, dpkg conffile handling could be completely ditched and removed.
>I think the desirable feature to keep is the notification when defaults
>changed, not dumping documentation and default settings in /etc just so
>that dpkg can notice when something changed.
*shrug* Having minimal documentation in the conffile itself it a big
help when one is restricted to a single shell (such as when one fixes
a broken system over a serial console). There are packages that overdo
that[2], but most packages in today's Debian find their middle ground
between "configuration only" and "have the full man page in the
conffile" pretty well.
>Putting defaults in /usr, and having a separate tool that (on package
>upgrade) checks if any defaults have changed sounds like a much better
>approach, because such a tool could also pick up any change in compiled
>in defaults.
Doing so means changing thousands of packages in Debian. A move that
needs to be thought well through and discussed as well. Changing
systemd and the other software from the Pöttering universe[3] means
only changing a handful of packages.
>Many programs already have an option to simply dump the complete
>configuration (including default values). For these programs, it should
>be enough to save the dump somewhere after installation, and compare it
>with the previous dump after upgrade.
Others[4] used to have such an option and still document it, but broke
it a while ago and do not intend to fix that.
Greetings
Marc
[1] bad mouths could also say "finish"
[2] qbirpbg, I'm talking to you.
[3] is that a better word, Mr. Khomoutov?
[4] k.bet, I'm talking to you.
--
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Marc Haber | " Questions are the | Mailadresse im Header
Mannheim, Germany | Beginning of Wisdom " | http://www.zugschlus.de/
Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 621 72739834
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