Re: [RFD]: Question regarding actions to take on --purge of a package.
On Sun, 30 Jan 2000 at 14:28, Steve Greenland wrote about "Re: [RFD]:...":
> > Well, the logs weren't created upon installation -- then why do they get
> > automatically removed upon "purge" ? That's the difference between the
> > config files (with even 100 hours of work put into them...they were STILL
> > created when the package was created).
>
> Just to be annoyingly nitpicky, not necessarily. There are lots of
> packages whose configuration files are optional, and whose non-existence
> is acceptable, but that are none-the-less configuration files of that
> package and are removed upon purge.
Then my example can be extended to config files.
> > And if I want to save just the logs? There IS something inherently
> > different with saving just the logs and nothing else (including config
> > files)
>
> Then *copy* the *$#@! precious log files somewhere else before you
> purge. There is nothing inherently different: purge says "remove all
> traces of this package, I'm getting rid of it permanently".
If I understand correctly, remove removes the binaries. Leaves docs, etc.
Right?
> If the data is that valuable, back it up. But for 99.9% of packages, log
> files are not data, and of no use once the package is purged.
I would think anything the program didn't create (beyond null files) upon
creation/installation would be considered data.
Be it MySQL databases, Apache logs or whatever else.
But if I'm not mistaken (and I could very well be), if remove only removes
binaries and purge removes all -- then what about those who want data
files to stay and the /usr/doc (or whatever it is now) with the binaries
to go away.
No, don't make me back it up. My server works just fine on it's RAID-5
that I don't need back-ups (just one example of why someone wouldn't
back-up; although it don't protect against every type of data loss).
And I still think a configurable uninstall would serve Debian packages
well. Certainly a mechanism that could be integrated slowly.
Could it hurt?
--
Brock Rozen brozen@torah.org
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