Clarification of Policy and Packaging manuals requested
Joey Hess writes, suggesting some places where he feels `configuration
file' should read `conffile':
> 3.4.2:
>
> These scripts should not fail obscurely when the configuration files
> remain but the package has been removed, as the default in dpkg is to
> leave configuration files on the system after the package has been
> removed. Only when it is executed with the `--purge' option will dpkg
> remove configuration files. Therefore, you should include a `test'
>
> 3.5:
> ...
> The scripts in these directories have to check, if all necessary
> programs are installed before they try to execute them. Otherwise,
> problems will arise when a package was removed (but not purged), since
> the configuration files are kept on the system in this situation.
In fact, it is _configuration files_ and not just conffiles which are
(or should be) removed on purge.
> 4.2
>
> The configuration files `/etc/services', `/etc/protocols', and
> `/etc/rpc' are managed by the netbase package and may not be modified
> by other packages.
>
> If these weren't conffiles, there would be no real reason other packages
Yes, there would. Packages shouldn't go messing with each others'
files without permission.
Ian.
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