On Tue, Apr 23, 2002 at 08:17:09PM -0500, Dimitri Maziuk wrote: > * Colin Watson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) spake thusly: > > On Tue, Apr 23, 2002 at 04:41:53PM -0500, Dimitri Maziuk wrote: > ... > > > According to dpkg(8) those tools consider "unpacked" (but not > > > configured) and "half-configured" as "package states". That tells me > > > that package configuration is, indeed, part of apt/dpkg's domain. > > > Please tell me if this isn't so, and I'll file a bug against dpkg > > > manpage. > > > > "Configured" means "postinst has been run, libraries have been set up, > > etc." (see policy for the details). What individual packages choose to > > do in their postinsts is up to them, and has nothing to do with dpkg and > > most certainly nothing to do with apt. > > *sigh* By apt/dpkg I was referring to "package management system" -- > it's 20 or so keystrokes shorter (yeah, I'm too lazy to even count > them accurately). > > What packages do in their postinst scripts has everything to do with > package management system, only with the policy/standards, rather than > purely technical, side of it. > > > > > > > ...It's up to individual packages, not the package management tools. > > > > > > I should have said it's a design bug in Debian as a whole, > > > > I disagree in the general case, but you probably knew that. I think it > > is an excellent feature of Debian that software is generally configured > > correctly for me. When things go wrong, I file bugs. > > Lucky you. I get paid for herding swervers; when things go wrong > I get fired & I don't get to eat. > > > > but OK then, have it your way: the bug is between some package > > > maintainers' chairs and keyboards. > > > > Yes. The right thing to do is to file bugs and educate them. > > People make misteaks, and not necessarily because they are stupid. > I can easily imagine a package maintainer at 2am Friday night, after > a week at the office, whose mailbox is overflowing with "your package > is the only one that's holding up Woody release!" messages, fscking > postinst script up no matter how smart and educated he or she is. > > OTOH, every package's postinst script could, for example, begin with > if [ "$1" == "configure" ]; then > if [ -e /var/lib/dpkg/info/$package.DO_NOT_TOUCH ]; then > exit 0 > fi > ... > which would give the sysadmin an option to turn autoconfiguration > off on a per-package basis. So that I could touch > /var/lib/dpkg/info/xserver-xfree86.DO_NOT_TOUCH right after installing > X and never worry about dexconf fscking it up. All that's needed is to > have a standard and to enforce it. I don't see any trace of a standard > like that in my /var/lib/dpkg/info/*.postinst; I call that "a design > bug in Debian package management system".
When I last upgraded ntp, I was warned that the package was going to overwrite my ntp.conf. It then cheerfully asked me if I'd like to see th unified diff of the changes, which I did. Then it asked me if I wanted to install the new ntp.conf or not. I did. This isn't just ntp, I always get asked that before my config files get blown away. Perhaps you need to install some packages. Maybe debconf or something. I actually have no idea, but there are many packages dealing with this sort of thing. -jwb -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
