Re: [RFD]: Question regarding actions to take on --purge of a package.
On 31-Jan-00, 16:44 (CST), Brock Rozen <brozen@torah.org> wrote:
> If I understand correctly, remove removes the binaries. Leaves docs, etc.
>
> Right?
Wrong. More explicitly: dpkg removes everything
in /var/lib/dpkg/info/foo.list that isn't also in
/var/lib/dpkg/info/foo.conffiles. The maintainer scripts are expected to
deal with non-conffile configuration files (which won't be in foo.list)
in a consistent manner; likewise (according to current policy) log files
and other detritus.
(I honestly find your question a little frustrating: you're arguing for
a new mechanism when you don't understand the current one.)
> 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.
There is (in my mind at least, but apparently not yours :-)) a huge
difference between the database files that a user creates via mysql and
the log files it (may) create during operation. I (probably) don't want
it to remove the db files when I purge, but I really don't want to have
to go cleanup all it's damn log files, either.
I understand that Apache (and other webserver) logfiles *are* a
borderline case, because they can be treated as data.
> 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).
Not even the most likely...(user error). I'm curious: by default, don't
the Apache logs get rotated and eventually deleted?
> And I still think a configurable uninstall would serve Debian packages
> well. Certainly a mechanism that could be integrated slowly.
>
> Could it hurt?
Yes. My experience is that users find it extremely frustrating to be
asked a bunch questions whose answers are either obvious or unanswerable
("I'm not using this file anymore, and I don't think anybody else is,
but if I delete it and I'm wrong, your system could crash horribly.
Delete?")
Again, I understand why you want to preserve a certain class of log
file, I just think it is an extremely borderline case, and don't think
it needs a new mechanism when it is so easily dealt with.
Beyond this, I just think we'll have to agree to disagree: I'm hardly
the prime mover in Debian policy, if you convince a majority, then I'll
not object (much).
Steve
--
Steve Greenland <vmole@swbell.net>
(Please do not CC me on mail sent to this list; I subscribe to and read
every list I post to.)
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