Anthony Towns <aj@azure.humbug.org.au> writes: > --ncSAzJYg3Aa9+CRW > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > On Tue, Aug 03, 1999 at 08:32:57AM -0700, Joseph Carter wrote: > > > I second this proposal, but please change the word "dependency" > > > by "Pre-Dependency" (otherwise I would formally object ;-). > > > Rationale: base-files (>=whatever) must be unpacked and *configured* > > > before *any* package using /var/mail is *unpacked*, because the symlink > > > /var/mail -> /var/spool/mail will be handled in base-files' postinst. > > Obviously and I support this addition. > > I'm confused. No packages install things into /var/spool/mail or /var/mail > directly, do they? Nor can I see why they'd want to use this as part of > their preinst or even postinst. Neither exim nor mutt include /var/anything > in their dpkg -L output. > > Why does /var/mail have to exist before those packages are unpacked?
Others have explained that this is probably not necessary for MTA's. However, it still seems necessary for MUA's. On a multi-user system, any unpacked MUA could possibly get executed while the package is unconfigured, and before base-files is configured. Carl Witty [EMAIL PROTECTED]
