debconf autoconfiguration

[Richard Wonka]

Michael Tautschnig <michael.tautschnig at zt-consulting.com> schrieb am 04.05.05 13:19:33:

> IMHO it is neither's fault - things just don't work that way. The package
> thinks, it is correct to use defaults from some config file, whereas FAI expects
> the package to always use the settings from the debconf database when running
> dpkg-reconfigure.
FAI relies on debconf's database? This doesn't sound good.

Background: The thing I liked least about SuSEConfig (and what drove me right into debians arms ;-) 
is that it simply ignored and overwrote any changes in the 'real' config files (e.g. /etc/locale.gen ) and
replaced their contents with the config-data from YaSt. (this may have changed, but it was very annoying at the time)
This way the user was _forced_ to use yast to do any configuration, or else all her config-work was lost.

Using debconf's database for anything other than debconf sounds like doing the same thing - giving up one of the great advantages of debian.

The real configuration should always be in the apropriate file, not in the database of some configuration tool.
(Where do You look when You have many different config-tools - say debconf, linuxconf, webmin and cfengine - installed?)

IMO using Debconf should always be optional.

strange how my SuSE-experience from years ago can still cause an allergic reaction :-)

Greetings from Lake Constance,

Sanso


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