Bug#29770: marked as done (Policy contradicts itself about /etc/aliases)
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and subject line Bug#29770: Policy contradicts itself about /etc/aliases
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Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 16:46:34 +0100 (CET)
From: Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es>
To: Debian Bugs <submit@bugs.debian.org>
Subject: Policy contradicts itself about /etc/aliases
Message-ID: <[🔎] Pine.LNX.3.96.981120163026.1492A-100000@cantor.unex.es>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Package: debian-policy
Version: 2.5.0.0
I have discovered a little inconsistency in the policy.
Section 5.5, "Mail transport agents" says:
"/etc/aliases is the source file for the system mail aliases (e.g.,
postmaster, usenet, etc.)--it is the one which the sysadmin and
postinst scripts may edit."
According to this, a postinst script *may* edit /etc/aliases.
However, section 4.7, "Configuration files" says:
"A package may not modify a configuration file of another package."
According to this, editing /etc/aliases is not allowed, since
this file is a conffile for sendmail, at least, and certainly it
is a "configuration file" in either case.
So, which is the truth, may /etc/aliases be edited by a postinst, or it
may not?
If "do not modify a configuration file of another package" is just a
general rule, it should be clear how many exceptions to the rule are
there.
Thanks.
--
"85438ed58b89b28d0dec167b46f14221" (a truly random sig)
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