Bug#533287: debian-policy: please clarify 10.7.4

[Bill Allombert <Bill.Allombert@math.u-bordeaux1.fr>]

On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 11:01:38AM +0200, Sune Vuorela wrote:
> Package: debian-policy
> Version: 3.8.1.0
> Severity: important
> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> There has recently on #debian-devel been a few discussions about wether
> it was allowed to edit other packages configuration files 
> (not 'conffiles') in maintainer scripts.
> 
> My interpretation of policy is that you are only allowed to edit other
> packages configure files thru a specific provided interface (e.g. update-inetd),
> and if a package don't offer such a interface, you aren't allowed.

Of course you are correct.

> Some people seems to claim that you are allowed to do sed/cat/echo/perl
> magic on other packages configuration files in maintainerscripts if you 
> really need it and there is no provided interface.

People that want to do stupid things always manage to distort policy to fit
their broken view, alas.

Cheers,
-- 
Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here.