Bug#761034: debconf-set-selections is ignored
On 09/10/14 21:49, Joey Hess wrote: It's up to individual packages how they deal with debconf settings. In general, the current configuration of the system is preferred over what is in the debconf cache when reconfiguring a package. It's often considered a bug if a package uses some, possibly old value from the debconf cache and blows away local admin changes to the system. I understand. Maybe I am too blind to see, but this is completely left out in debconf(1) and others, i.e. the confusing and unex- pected still stands. Maybe it would help to extend the Debian policy to make sure that packages do not ignore their own(!) options stored in the debconf database? Just for using debconf, of course. Debconf preseeding is not really intended to be used with dpkg-reconfigure, but instead to be done before a package is installed for the first time. debconf-set-selections(1): debconf-set-selections can be used to pre-seed the debconf data- base with answers, or to change answers in the database. Each question will be marked as seen to prevent debconf from asking the question interactively. WARNING Only use this command to seed debconf values for packages that will be or are installed. Otherwise you can end up with values in the database for uninstalled packages that will not go away ... No word about first time install only. Some real-life packages simply behave differently to what is des- cribed in the man page, even though they are using debconf. This doesn't seem right. Regards Harri signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Bug#761034: debconf-set-selections is ignored
Package: debconf Version: 1.5.49 Looking at the output of debconf-get-selections and the preset values shown by dpkg-reconfigure it seems to me that sometimes they do not match. Example: If I change the database for mdadm using echo -e mdadm\tmdadm/mail_to\tstring\tmonitor...@example.com | debconf-set-selections debconf-get-selections | grep ^mdadm then I can see the new value in the output of debconf-\ get-selections, but dpkg-reconfigure still uses the old value. Seems that there are 2 databases. This is confusing and unexpected. How can I change the real one for a non- interactive reconfiguration? This problem is not restricted to mdadm. exim4-config doesn't play nice, either. I am sure there are more. Regards Harri -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Bug#761034: debconf-set-selections is ignored
Harald Dunkel wrote: Looking at the output of debconf-get-selections and the preset values shown by dpkg-reconfigure it seems to me that sometimes they do not match. Example: If I change the database for mdadm using echo -e mdadm\tmdadm/mail_to\tstring\tmonitor...@example.com | debconf-set-selections debconf-get-selections | grep ^mdadm then I can see the new value in the output of debconf-\ get-selections, but dpkg-reconfigure still uses the old value. Seems that there are 2 databases. This is confusing and unexpected. How can I change the real one for a non- interactive reconfiguration? This problem is not restricted to mdadm. exim4-config doesn't play nice, either. I am sure there are more. There are not 2 databases. It's up to individual packages how they deal with debconf settings. In general, the current configuration of the system is preferred over what is in the debconf cache when reconfiguring a package. It's often considered a bug if a package uses some, possibly old value from the debconf cache and blows away local admin changes to the system. Debconf preseeding is not really intended to be used with dpkg-reconfigure, but instead to be done before a package is installed for the first time. -- see shy jo signature.asc Description: Digital signature
