Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 18:19:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Doug Barton <DougB@FreeBSD.org> To: Kevin Oberman <oberman@es.net> Cc: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.org Subject: /etc/defaults/rc.conf theory Message-ID: <20020419181021.X18267-100000@zoot.corp.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <20020419225855.E7E575D05@ptavv.es.net>
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On Fri, 19 Apr 2002, Kevin Oberman wrote:
> I really hate to see the suggestion that people copy files from
> /etc/defaults to /etc. This really breaks the paradigm of having only
> changes in defaults in /etc so that defaults can be changed with a
> normal system update.
But that was never the paradigm. There are a few different ideas
about why the defaults file should exist (none of which I'm particularly
fond of, btw) but silently changing defaults out from under the users
isn't really all that good of an idea, no matter how well intentioned it
might be.
The one rational reason for having the defaults file is to create
a reasonable environment at startup for fresh installs. Given that
everything in inetd.conf is commented out, it's reasonable not to start
that daemon. The sendmail issue is a little more enigmatic, given that in
order for local processes to send outgoing mail it's now necessary to have
a sendmail daemon running... it could be argued that changing the defaults
in both branches is reasonable at this point. (Technically, there is
another good reason for the defaults file, namely that new options should
always be defaulted to off when they are introduced. However, that is both
abused, and not used consistently, so I'd much rather see
/usr/share/examples/rc/*, or something to that effect. But I digress.)
> While the new mergemaster option helps with this, I would really rather
> not see rc.conf (and other files) become large and not trivial to scan
> over.
The problem is, if an option exists, it has to be documented
somewhere. While fraught with danger, the existing situation isn't
HORRIBLE... but it does need help.
> Of course, people SHOULD pay attention to whet mergemaster has to say,
> but even I have messed up when updating an important server and not
> watching all of the things mergemaster showed in an effort to get the
> system back on-line quickly.
I agree that we should provide safety nets whenever possible...
that's been one of my main areas of work in the project. But, at some
point, it's still on you when you push 'i' for install. This ain't
windows. :)
--
"We have known freedom's price. We have shown freedom's power.
And in this great conflict, ... we will see freedom's victory."
- George W. Bush, President of the United States
State of the Union, January 28, 2002
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