Tim Kelley wrote:
On Tue, Aug 24, 2004 at 10:18:08PM +0800, John Summerfield wrote:
Seems to me the idea of creating configuration files on the fly is broken. I much prefer this:
Yes, so how exactly, for example, is phpmyadmin supposed to touch files,
such as httpd.conf, so that it works and is properly configured *when
it is installed*? Hmm? If httpd.conf was "owned" by apache, no other
package could touch it (I think we all agree allowing this would be a
mess), how can it modify the file to allow itself to work? The is why
some configuration files are created upon installation and not owned
by any package.
/etc/httpd/conf/conf.d
Something workable seems done in Apache2.
It wouldn't be hard to build a temp config on the fly in a similar way to how modutils works: concatenatea bunch of partial files to create one single file. A proforma or empty httpd.conf would be shipped.
So we have a tradeoff. I prefer having to do a little hunting to figure out which package created the file than, as on a SuSE or Red Hat system, have completely misconfigured software all over the system.
You ignore the fact that almost all red hat packages, when installed, are broken. I think that is a far bigger problem. You are forgetting that Debian has taken the packaging system far, far beyond anything Red Hat or SuSE have done.
How broken?
I agree Debian was once the leader, but I think that's no longer the case. How long since you actually tried RH or SuSE products?
I think several aspects of Debian behaviour are ill-conceived: 1. That I want to start a daemon as soon as I've installed it Typically I want to install at the office, configure in the field.
2. That I want to configure software when I install it. Typically I want to read the (gasp) documentation.
3. That if I have KDE|GNOME|whatever DTE installed I always want to run it when I boot.
For various reason I sometimes want to boot to an otherwise fully functioning system without gooey stuff. For example, KDE hangs one partituclar system I have if it sees real hardware. Under VNC it's fine.
4. That I know where in the startup/shutdown process each daemon belongs.
On RHL & SuSE if I decide to turn ptal off because my printeris causing grief, it's a simple command to do so. Later, I can easily turn it back on in its proper place in the startup sequence.
--
Cheers John
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