Re: Bug#587991: perl-policy: /etc/perl missing from Module Path

[Dominic Hargreaves <dom@earth.li>]

On Thu, Jan 05, 2012 at 09:07:38AM -0800, Russ Allbery wrote:
> Dominic Hargreaves <dom@earth.li> writes:
> 
> > There are a couple of other things which use /etc/perl, from only a
> > brief look at the perl debian/changelog (/etc/perl/CPAN and
> > /etc/perl/CPANPLUS). Those files are created by a local administrator
> > (using the tools shipped).
> 
> Here's what I currently have, which hopefully also addresses Bill's
> concerns.  Does this look correct?
> 
> diff --git a/perl-policy.sgml b/perl-policy.sgml
> index 626c514..0ef56f0 100644
> --- a/perl-policy.sgml
> +++ b/perl-policy.sgml
> @@ -128,17 +128,27 @@
>        <sect id="paths">
>  	<heading>Module Path</heading>
>  	<p>
> -	  Perl searches three different locations for modules, referred
> -	  to in this document as <var>core</var> in which modules
> -	  distributed with Perl are installed, <var>vendor</var> for
> -	  packaged modules and <var>site</var> for modules installed by
> -	  the local administrator.
> +	  Perl searches four different locations for modules, referred to
> +	  in this document as <var>config</var> for system configuration
> +	  modules, <var>core</var> in which modules distributed with Perl
> +	  are installed, <var>vendor</var> for packaged modules,
> +	  and <var>site</var> for modules installed by the local
> +	  administrator.
>  	</p>
>  	<p>
>  	  The module search path (<tt>@INC</tt>) in the Debian packages
>  	  has been ordered to include these locations in the following
>  	  order:
>  	  <taglist>
> +	    <tag><var>config</var></tag>
> +	    <item>
> +	      <p>
> +		Configuration modules (see <ref id="config_modules">).
> +		<example>
> +/etc/perl
> +		</example>
> +	      </p>
> +	    </item>
>  	    <tag><var>site</var> (current)</tag>
>  	    <item>
>  	      <p>
> @@ -395,6 +405,43 @@ $(MAKE) install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/&lt;tmp&gt;
>  	  </p>
>  	</sect1>
>        </sect>
> +
> +      <sect id="config_files">
> +	<heading>Configuration Files for Modules</heading>
> +	<p>
> +	  Debian Perl module packages that include configuration files are
> +	  allowed (but not required) to put those configuration files
> +	  under <file>/etc/perl</file>.  If this path is used for
> +	  configuration files, the configuration file must be installed
> +	  into a directory under <file>/etc/perl</file> named after the
> +	  module, with <tt>::</tt> changed to <tt>/</tt> following the
> +	  normal Perl rules for transforming Perl module names into paths.
> +	</p>
> +	<p>
> +	  For example, a configuration file for the XML::SAX module would
> +	  be installed in the directory <file>/etc/perl/XML/SAX</file>,
> +	  and a configuration file used by multiple Net::* modules would
> +	  be installed in the directory <file>/etc/perl/Net</file>.
> +	</p>
> +      </sect>
> +
> +      <sect id="config_modules">
> +	<heading>Configuration Modules</heading>
> +	<p>
> +	  Some Perl packages load system-wide configuration from a
> +	  dedicated Perl module whose purpose is solely to contain
> +	  configuration settings.  The module often contains only variable
> +	  settings.  Such modules should be treated as configuration files
> +	  and installed under <file>/etc/perl</file>.
> +	</p>
> +	<p>
> +	  Debian packages must not install regular modules in this path.
> +	  It is reserved for configuration modules that follow the
> +	  semantics of configuration files as defined by Debian Policy, or
> +	  for configuration files for Perl modules as described
> +	  in <ref id="config_files">.
> +	</p>
> +      </sect>
>      </chapt>
>  
>      <chapt id="programs">

This looks spot on to me; thanks for doing this! Niko, does this make
sense to you too?

Cheers,
Dominic.

-- 
Dominic Hargreaves | http://www.larted.org.uk/~dom/
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