Bug#106280: packages shouldn't have to ask permission before calling MAKEDEV in postinst

[Paul Slootman <paul@debian.org>]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.5.5
Severity: important

Severity is set to important, because if this is not changed, serious
bugs will have to be reported on a number of other packages. Hence
changing policy first is preferable.

Current policy states:

          If a package needs any special device files that are not
          included in the base system, it must call
          <prgn>MAKEDEV</prgn> in the <prgn>postinst</prgn> script,
          after asking the user for permission to do so.</p>

On at least two occasions this has been brought up on the debian-policy
mailing list, and in both cases people couldn't suggest a compelling
reason for this, and suggested that this should be changed. Most
recently: thread starting at
http://lists.debian.org/debian-policy-0107/msg00032.html

I suggest the last line be changed to something like:

          after notifying the user.</p>

This notification could be done via a (low-priority) debconf message.


Thanks,
Paul Slootman