Bug#403391: debian-policy: scripts as configuration files: should vs. must
Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> writes:
> Given that Policy is only really useful when kept in sync with release
> policy, I agree with making a change here. Policy is making a general
> statement and the RC policy is making a specific statement, so how about
> replacing this paragraph with:
>
> As noted elsewhere, /etc/init.d, /etc/default files, scripts installed
> in /etc/cron.{daily,weekly,monthly}, and cron configuration installed
> in /etc/cron.d must be treated as configuration files. In general,
> any script that embeds configuration information is de-facto a
> configuration file and should be treated as such.
>
> There is also a s/should/must/ change to be made in 9.5 for scripts
> installed in /etc/cron.{daily,weekly,monthly}.
>
> I think this change is fairly obvious and if there are no objections will
> apply it for the next Policy release.
Here is the patch that I'm applying. If anyone objects, yell now.
--- orig/policy.sgml
+++ mod/policy.sgml
@@ -6401,8 +6401,7 @@
All files installed in any of these directories must be
scripts (e.g., shell scripts or Perl scripts) so that they
can easily be modified by the local system administrator.
- In addition, they should be treated as configuration
- files.
+ In addition, they must be treated as configuration files.
</p>
<p>
@@ -7206,10 +7205,13 @@
</p>
<p>
- Note that a script that embeds configuration information
- (such as most of the files in <file>/etc/default</file> and
- <file>/etc/cron.{daily,weekly,monthly}</file>) is de-facto a
- configuration file and should be treated as such.
+ As noted elsewhere, <file>/etc/init.d</file> scripts,
+ <file>/etc/default</file> files, scripts installed in
+ <file>/etc/cron.{daily,weekly,monthly}</file>, and cron
+ configuration installed in <file>/etc/cron.d</file> must be
+ treated as configuration files. In general, any script that
+ embeds configuration information is de-facto a configuration
+ file and should be treated as such.
</p>
</sect1>
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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