[OE-core] [PATCH 1/4] packaging: allow globs in CONFFILES

[ChenQi]

On 12/19/2014 02:42 PM, Mike Looijmans wrote:
> On 12/19/2014 07:21 AM, Chen Qi wrote:
> > ...
>> As almost all files under /etc are basically configuration files, we
>> provide a default value for CONFFILES.
>>
>>      CONNFFILES = "${sysconfdir}"
>
> This is going to hurt a lot of recipes. Please do not set this.
>
> The default has always been that CONFFILES is empty. I see no reason 
> whatsoever to suddenly change this.
>
>> In this way, we don't need to modify every recipe to set the CONFFILES
>> variable. Of course, setting CONFFILES in recipes take precedence over
>> the CONFFILES. For example, if the recipe author decides that package A
>> should only treat files under ${sysconfdir}/default/ as config files,
>> he/she can write like this.
>>
>>      CONFFILES_A = "${sysconfdir}/default"
>>
>> The above situation should not be common. As according to FHS, the /etc
>> directory is a place for all system related configuration files.
>
> FHS may have written that somewhere, but if you just take a quick look 
> at what is in /etc/, you'll find that actual configuration files are 
> quite rare, but there are tons of scripts and distro related files 
> there. Whether or not a file there is supposed to be edited by the 
> end-user is something of a distro decision.
>
> Also, "configuration file" does not necessarily mean that the USER is 
> in control. A configuration file may also simply distinguish machine 
> capabilities or software features.
>
> We'll end up having to patch hundreds of recipes with a CONFFILES="" 
> or similar line.
>

Hi Mike,

Sorry for the late reply. I was involved in other work these days.
Please see my explanation below.

Most files under /etc are configuration files. If we don't default 
CONFFILES to ${sysconfdir}, then we have to patch a lot of recipes with 
CONFFILES_xxx = "xxxx" lines.

The fact is that when people write recipes, they often forget about 
CONFFILES.
The typical example is the shadow recipe. And I can easily give you more 
examples.

And it's not uncommon that people forget to check CONFFILES when they 
update the recipe.
When the recipe is updated to a new version, it's possible that the 
CONFFILES should change.
The typical example is the systemd recipe.

*The bad effect of the above? On-target package upgrades override user 
changes. That's a really annoying problem, isn't it?*
Users of OE based projects have complained about this. There were 
patches on OE which fixed several recipes. But the solution doesn't scale.

The patchset is an effort to change this situation.

Best Regards,
Chen Qi

>
> Met vriendelijke groet / kind regards,
>
> Mike Looijmans
> System Expert
>
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