

Bug#1182: netbase /etc/inetd.conf is an auto-handled conffile

Package: netbase
Version: 1.12-1

Could the `/etc/inetd.conf' file please be dealt with by the
postrm/postinst scripts, rather than being distributed with the
package and listed in conffiles ?

The problem with having it distributed with the package and listed in
conffiles is that many packages will make changes to it automatically,
and so the user will often be given a conffile update prompt which
they do not understand.

The right way to do this is to have the postinst check to see whether
the file exists and provide one if it doesn't.

If it does it should be checked for any errors that were in later
versions and edited to correct them.

See the Smail package's handling of /etc/smail/* for a fairly
comprehensive example.

(Similar arguments apply to, for example, /etc/inittab.)

Furthermore, I note that you've added a commented-out SMTP line to the
inetd.conf.  This has caused Smail to fail to reinstall itself in its
postinst on my system, because it puts a comment in the file saying
`(will be restored by smail postinst)' which your new version of the
file removed.  I suppose I shall have to find a better way of doing
this, but I wasn't expecting to have the inetd.conf modified under the
user's feet.


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