On Fri, Jul 30, 1999 at 01:19:49AM -0700, Daniel Quinlan wrote:
> > I propose that we create a safe migration path between /var/spool/mail and
> > /var/mail.
> >
> > The base-files package should implement the following:
> > * If /var/mail does not exist but /var/spool/mail does (standard
> > configuration today), a symlink /var/mail -> /var/spool/mail should be
> > created.
>
> Are there any cases where you can do a move? Maybe the user should be
> given the option of moving the directory (or mount point). Yes, there
> is a small window where sendmail must be shutdown, but I think it may
> be acceptable to many users. Anyway, I thought I'd ask.
>
> Maybe advanced sysadmins can just do it themselves. Please make sure
> that a self-move is also possible since it will happen.
Indeed. That's why all the if's. A new system should come with /var/mail
as a directory and /var/spool/mail a symlink. My system is that way today
(not that it matters at all given that I have default delivery through
procmail which is set up system-wide to default to ~/Mailbox and in my own
case ~/.mail/INBOX/)
I currently use exim, but I still prefer procmail for this stuff.
procmail is a known quantity and I'm quite likely to try postfix at some
point which would make exim filters pointless since I'd have to rewrite
them and of course ~/.mail/INBOX/ means Maildir which of course postfix
won't do yet...
> > 3.1.3 The system mail spool
> >
> > While the FHS mandates the mail spool be accessable as /var/mail, it is
> > important to retain compatibility with older packages and locally
> > compiled programs. Packages using the mail spool should use /var/mail
> > and declare dependency on base-files (>= #BASEFILESVER#).
>
> This is actually not a violation of FHS 2.1 pre-draft #2. It also
> implies the idea of retaining compatibility with older packages
> contradicts FHS. Therefore, I'd suggest something like:
I'm aware of this, I was just trying to provide some rationale for
maintaining the /var/spool/mail symlink indefinitely rather than just
until say policy 4 comes out like has been discussed with /usr/doc..
> The FHS mandates the mail spool be accessible as /var/mail. In
> order to guarantee compatibility with older packages and locally
> compiled programs, packages using the mail spool should use
> /var/mail and declare dependency on base-files (>= #BASEFILESVER#).
>
> Otherwise, I like the proposal very much.
If nobody supporting that /var/mail become part of policy (it actually is
now with FHS 2.0---for the most part my changes simply provide technical
detail as to how it should be implemented in a backwards-compatible
fashion and clears up inconsistancies in the current policy), I'd like to
ammend my proposal with the above wording. Much nicer looking. =>
--
Joseph Carter <knghtbrd@debian.org> Debian GNU/Linux developer
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<Espy> tomorrow there will be a great disturbance in the workforce
-- May 18, 1999
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