[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: apt-get: how to circumvent automatic removal



Daniel Klein wrote:
> The thing I was trying to do was quite simply this: I wanted to run a 
> second ftp server on another port range. Next to the already installed 
> proftpd I wanted to run a vsftpd. However, the cow thought that, 'well, 
> that's a new ftp server! He won't need the old one! Let's throw it out, 

No, it thought that port 21 is already used by one ftp server and you
can't have both on the same port.  Both will modify /etc/inetd.conf
for that same service.  That is a conflict.

> including the conf files!'.

Negative.  Conf files are only removed on a purge.

> That's the first time apt-get didn't behave 'smartly'. I can totally
> see how this can be clever sometimes, however I think it would be
> smarter to ask in this case, because I can see many similar
> situations where you'd want two different flavours of one service
> installed.

The packages are not written with this in mind since it is outside
what 99.44% of the users would want.  The postinst scripts will
collide and break each other.  Don't do it.  The packages really can't
handle every possible configuration and should not try.  If someone
wants this they can easily have it by manually configuring it.  If you
want it then you can easily set this up yourself.

Install one, then move the files you want where you want them, then
install the other.  For example, install vsftpd and copy
/usr/sbin/vsftpd to /usr/local/sbin/ where you have completely
control.  Configure /etc/inetd.conf to use this copy on a different
port.  Then install proftpd which removes the /usr/sbin/vsftpd copy.
Now you have both.

You can extract the files without installing by using dpkg-deb
--extract on the deb.

Bob

Attachment: pgp6s3dpmUUDP.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: