Re: Discouraging automatic creation of configuration files

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

On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 02:02:18PM +0000, Michael T wrote:
> Some alternatives to packages creating configuration files (often best handled
> in co-operation with upstream) are:
>  * Ensuring that the package has reasonable defaults if no configuration file is
> supplied.
>  * Cleanly separate distribution configuration files (i.e. in /usr/lib) and user
> configuration files (i.e. in /etc), whereby the second overrides the first.

I completly agree with this, popularity-contest and menu use that scheme.
Overrides allow to clealy separate Debian default configuration from 
user configuration.

But this is also an upstream issue: some upstream configuration system
provide override (e.g. texlive) but most do not.
Secondly, sometimes default values need to be determined at installation
time, not at package build-time (this is the case for popcon).

However, it is seems a bit premature for debian-policy.

Maybe you could start by making a list of package that support configuration
override.

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

Imagine a large red swirl here.