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

Re: install daemon without starting it



On Thu, Apr 02 2009, Nuno Magalhães wrote:

>>> is it possible to install a daemon from a Debian package without having
>>> it automatically started afterwards?
>
> At the risk of starting a holy war, and kind of highjaking, shouldn't
> Debian *not* start just-installed daemons by default? Or at least ask
> while installing if such daemon is to be started automatically (like
> sshd does, i think)?

        The argument is that if the user did not want the daemon
 started, they would not have installed the package. And while there can
 be a debconf question about it starting, the questions should be of low
 priority (I insatlled the package, didn't I? why ask me over and over
 whether I really really want it running?), and the default should be
 yes.

        This is why Debian has debconf -- so that any critical
 configuration should be done at install, and there should be
 reasonable, non-obnoxious defaults set by the package anyway.

        There are mechanisms by which the site admin can tailor the
 selection of daemons that start -- but the default should be I
 installed it, and I installed it for a reason, so I want the thing
 running.

        Or so the reasoning goes.

        manoj
-- 
Journalism is literature in a hurry. Matthew Arnold
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.golden-gryphon.com/>  
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C


Reply to: