Re: mysteries of /etc/default/*
On 2004-07-15 Sebastian Henschel <debian@kodeaffe.de> wrote:
> in the last couple of months, i realized that more and more packages
> are using a file in /etc/default/ for the configuration of their
> init-scripts.
> i searched in debian-devel and debian-mentors, looked into the policy
> 10.7 and asked a maintainer of such a package, but did not find any
> rationale, discussion or something which explains this.
The rationale is simple:
Editing a file that only contains 5 settings is easier and less error
prone than editing the init-script directly. It also lessens the need
for merging in changes by separating code from configuration.
(e.g. if I have to edit the init-script to e.g. change the ports a
daemon listens on I'll have to manually merge in this changes whenever
a new version with changed initscript is installed.)
> can any one of you please help me here? would it be smart to move my
> package's configuration into /etc/default as well? will it be part of
> the policy some day? why is it called default?
We are not talking about the "package's configuration" but about the
init-script's one.
cu andreas
--
"See, I told you they'd listen to Reason," [SPOILER] Svfurlr fnlf,
fuhggvat qbja gur juveyvat tha.
Neal Stephenson in "Snow Crash"
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