RE: configuring packages as a separate step

[bruce@pixar.com (Bruce Perens)]

From: Casper BodenCummins <bodec@Sherwood.co.uk>
> Perhaps I misunderstand the dselect installation process, but I thought
> that dselect unpacks the all selected packages before running the
> installation and configuration scripts. If one configuration goes badly
> wrong, doesn't this leave a bundle of unpacked and unconfigured packages
> lying about?

The scenario you are describing is:
1. All dependencies are satisfied by the set of packages you're installing.
2. Dselect unpacks them, and starts to configure them.
3. One of the configuration scripts returns error status.

If it's an upgrade that breaks, it's supposed to back out the upgrade
cleanly. I don't know how well that works, but it's what I I think I read
in the (new, excellent!) programmers documentation in the dpkg 1.3.6
package (in the "rex" distribution).

A number of packages that depend on the broken package may be left in the
unconfigured state. If an upgrade was backed out successfully and they
don't require the _new_ version, they should configure.

Now, no doubt this does not all work as well as it should. If you'd like
to help out (and stick out your neck a bit), you might try installing
dpkg-1.3.6 and running it through its paces. Bug reports would be greatly
appreciated as we want to release this software in Debian 1.2 . Do read the
existing bug reports on it first, and consider if you want to subject your
system to untested software of this critical a nature.

	Thanks

	Bruce