Bug#204144: /usr/bin/apt-get: purging: mention removed directory

[Adam Heath <doogie@debian.org>]

reassign 204144 dwww
close 204144
On Tue, 5 Aug 2003, Dan Jacobson wrote:

> Package: apt
> Version: 0.5.8
> Severity: minor
> File: /usr/bin/apt-get
>
>     # apt-get --purge  remove dwww
>     Reading Package Lists... Done
>     Building Dependency Tree... Done
>     The following packages will be REMOVED:
>       dwww*
>     0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 248 not upgraded.
>     Need to get 0B of archives.
>     After unpacking 500kB disk space will be freed.
>     Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
>     Reading changelogs... Done
>
> [odd, why would [apt-listchages?] be reading changelogs during a purge?]
>
>     (Reading database ... 177916 files and directories currently installed.)
>     Removing dwww ...
> 1   dpkg - warning: while removing dwww, directory `/etc/dwww' not empty so not removed.
> 2   Purging configuration files for dwww ...
> 3   Purging configuration data in /etc/dwww/ ... done.


>
> OK, but you need an additional message [numbers are mine]:
>
> 4   Removing directory /etc/dwww/ .
> or something, to assure one that 1 has been fully treated, as 3 only
> talks about files.
>
> i.e. you do indeed remove the directory, but from 1+3, the user thinks
> you forgot to.  So give better messages.

First, this can in no way be an apt bug.  apt just calls dpkg.  Secondly, dwww
is printing the message about purging configuration data.  Why it has to even
print this message, is unknown to me.  Third, dpkg is responsible for removing
empty dirs.  And, will, in this case(if the dir is empty).  You don't
seriously think dpkg should tell you everything it's removing.

ps: there's an open bug(with patch) against dpkg, to make it retry removing
dirs after purging.  It currently doesn't.