Overwriting config files

[Ryan Schmidt]

On Aug 17, 2007, at 02:47, Anders F Björklund wrote:

> Ryan Schmidt wrote:
>
>> Brian Matzon wrote:
>>
>>> I have had some issues lately with upgrades overwriting config  
>>> files (postfix, apache2).
>>> Should I create a ticket for these issues, or is this being fixed  
>>> in this ticket:
>>> I noticed this ticket: http://trac.macports.org/projects/macports/ 
>>> ticket/2365
>>
>> That ticket is 3 years old and is for general MacPorts  
>> functionality to support non-volatile default config files. Since  
>> it's so old, I doubt anything is being done with it at the moment.  
>> I'm also not convinced any functionality needs to be added to  
>> MacPorts base to support this.
>
> The ticket mentions the need to have install/uninstall scripts  
> (i.e. not do it in activate/deactivate since that only works with  
> images), and that functionality is needed in order for the *.sample  
> approach to be useful. It's another old ticket, though: http:// 
> trac.macports.org/projects/macports/ticket/1068

I don't see how #1068 is related to Brian's request. Don't see why  
install/uninstall scripts are necessary for anything.

> For the configuration files, it would be a great benefit to the  
> packaging targets if there was a way to specify which ones are  
> conffiles. Probably something like "destroot.conffiles", similar to  
> the existing "destroot.keepdirs". This would signify that the files  
> in question are *not* to be overwritten...

Don't see why that's necessary. I think we're doing just fine with  
individual portfiles installing their sample conf files with *.sample  
or *.default names.

> So all these Tickets are related (#777 is another one), and the  
> implementation of these missing features should be taken to the  
> macports-dev list. So to me, it seems that at least two new pieces  
> of functionality are needed to be added to the MacPorts base in  
> order to support this ?

#777 seems to be a "nice to have" rather than a requirement:

http://trac.macports.org/projects/macports/ticket/777

"If a port installs a foo.cf.sample it might want to copy  
foo.cf.sample to foo.cf iff foo.cf doesn't exist. This is probably  
common enough that the port author shouldn't be forced to write an on- 
install foo.cf.sample [ ! -f foo.cf ] && cp foo.cf.sample foo.cf"


I don't understand what functionality requested by Brian cannot be  
met by MacPorts 1.5.2 as it is today.