Hi all, I am packaging the new hylafax version, 6.0. Now that Lenny has been released I am taking squeeze as base distribution, but I would also give support to older distribution. Starting from sarge, all users where strongly advised to update to 2.6 kernel; etch and lenny started delivering packages that do not work with kernel 2.4. Now I believe that 2.4 kernel is no more supported.
Current hylafax package requires a lot of configuration files in a specific directory, i.e. /var/spool/hylafax/etc, while Debian keep configuration files in /etc. So, the init.d script for hylafax, clone the /etc/hylafax/ directory and copy everything on /var/spool/hylafax/etc. This is a problem because of duplicated data and because it require a method to keep both directories in sync. Keeping all conffiles only in /var/spool/hylafax/etc is against Debian policy, keeping all of them in /etc/hylafax won't work for hylafax daemons chrooted in /var/spool/hylafax/. Symbolic links doesn't solve the problem either. With 2.6 kernels, we may use the "bind" option in order to mount a /etc/hylafax on /var/spool/hylafax/etc. So, I am finally moving to this new configuration, but I have a few concern that I would like to share, looking for suggestion. First of all, hylafax package support many configuration: you may start all daemons from init.d script, or you may have a few othe started via inittab, or you may have some of them started via inetd. All configuration may be mixed. Currently, both directories are kept update by the script in /etc/init.d. If any daemon is run via inittab or inetd, then they get only the configuration found in /var/spool/hylafax/etc. Currently, the main configuration is in /etc/hylafax. Whenever anything is changed, i.e. using faxadduser, then the command also update /var/spool/hylafax/etc. Option 1. The new way, in my opinion, is to check if any daemon is run via inetd or inittab. If any, then keep the current way. Then check for mount/bind capability, if not preset, then keep the current way. Otherwise backup and remove /var/spool/hylafax/etc while *installing* the new package. Then bind and unbind the new file system when starting and stopping hylafax using init.d script. Option 2. do not backup and remove the old directory so, if any daemon starts via inetd or inittab, they would find a valid configuration. Keep binding and unbinding from the init.d script even if daemons are run via inetd or inittab. Option 3. prompt the user for selecting the preferred way. Option 4. create an option in /etc/defaults/hylafax to make init.d script only bind/unbind, without starting/stopping daemon. This could be useful to people still running daemons via inittab or inetd, but willing to use the bind/unbind way. In any case, when this package is installed (not upgraded), follow Option 1. Any suggestion? Thanks, Giuseppe -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
