Re: obsolete, harmful conf files

[Geert Stappers <Geert.Stappers@xs4all.nl>]

At 1:05 +0200 6/25/02, Oliver Kurth wrote:
>On Mon, Jun 24, 2002 at 03:42:25PM -0700, Sean 'Shaleh' Perry wrote:
>>
>> On 24-Jun-2002 Oliver Kurth wrote:
>> > Hello!
>> >
>> > I have changed a package and made some files in
>>/etc/pcmcia/ip-{up,down}.d/
>> > obsolete. Since they are in /etc they are conffiles. Since they are
>> > conffiles, they will not be removed on upgrade. Since they are
>> > also scripts, they are somewhat harmful.

<snip>

>In principle they have moved to another location, /etc/network/if-{up,down}.d,
>and at the same I have greatly changed them. What happens if they are not
>removed is that both of them will be executed. They both start a process
>in background (fetch and/or send mail). Whatever will be executed first
>will block (by a lock file) the second, because it is likely that the
>time span between them is short. The old scripts also depend on a conf file
>which is obsolete as well (it is still there, because it is a conffile, but
>not supported by debconf).

Could you provide us with more background information about your software?

To me it seems you are melting a
 interface up
 sendmail
 fetchmail
 interface down
together. For supporting pcmcia devices you move the script to
the more general spot of other devices, which makes it easier
for you to implement your cooking.

Installing your package will break the PCMCIA stuff,
at least you are messing with files of other packages.

The above is only guessing due the lack of information,
so I hope that I didn't offend you and that I make a wrong guess.

>
>My worries are that I get lots of bug reports because the package does not
>behave as expected by the users.

A critical question:  ( not intended as an insulting question )
Could it be that they are expecting clean designed software?

Geert