Christian PERRIER wrote: > (for dle readers: this package apparently violates many devref > recommendations, particularly about debconf notes abuse. This is > indeed a quite specific case, as the qmail package is used to generate > qmail-src....many discussions already happened with the current > maintainer about this. So, we'll not insist too hard on some things)
There are also some major problems in the control file's package descriptions (in control.real rather than control); basically, when it says "modern" it means "mid-90s". But I'll leave that for later, because there's enough to worry about in the templates. > Template: qmail/readme > Type: note > +_Description: Notice for qmail users > + Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read > + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a > + description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in > + other systems and other mail delivery agents. Harvard comma: ^, transfer (MDAs are things like procmail or maildrop.) > . > If you were using sendmail (or smail) previously, you will also want to read > the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between > sendmail and qmail. Anybody upgrading directly from Smail (last seen in Etch) to this version of Qmail (in Squeeze) would already be doing something unsupported. Are Exim/Postfix/etc users being left out just because the qmail-upgrade manpage is monstrously out of date? I can't see this manpage anywhere in the archives, but there are copies online, and they do as I feared talk as if Sendmail was the only other MTA in existence. I don't want to end up suggesting: If you have been frozen in a glacier you will also want to read "http://www.qmail.org/qmail-manual-html/man7/qmail-upgrade.html", which details user-visible differences between Qmail and Stegodon. but I do think it needs to be something more like: If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between Sendmail and Qmail. (Assuming qmail-upgrade(7) is packaged somewhere I'm not looking.) [...] > Template: qmail/start > +Type: boolean > _Description: Do you want to start qmail now? Or tersely: Start qmail now? > Template: qmail/reboot > Type: note > _Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot > + You did choose not to start qmail now. It will be started ^^^^^^^^^^ Simple past "You chose not to start qmail"..." [...] > Template: qmail/qlist > Type: note > +_Description: qlist utility discontinued > + The qlist utility has been splitted into a separate package by upstream > + developer since qmail 1.02. "Split" is one of those monosyllabic verbs ending in "t" that can't be bothered inflecting (compare "hit", "cut"). But that "has been" construction feels awkward when we're talking about a decade-old change: The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream developer in Qmail 1.02. (Also not calling qlist-1.00.tar.gz a "package".) > + . > + This utility is not package as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can > + however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html. This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html. Even that page says ezmlm renders it obsolete. > + Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes > + since qmail 1.01. Q > > I wonder if this dialog is still useful given that qmail 1.03 seems to > be around since 1999. If the idea is to call the admin's attention to changes, it should surely be a NEWS file... I vote for throwing it out, along with all similar templates. > Template: qmail/inetd > -Type: note > -_Description: inetd.conf changes > - inetd does not handle qmail terribly effectively, so > +Type: error > +_Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes > + The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling qmail, so > the default instalation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead. installation > . > For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled. > . > This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using > - /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see /usr/doc/qmail/README for > details) > + /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see > + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details). > > Template: qmail/tcpupdate > Type: note > _Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver Why are you telling me this? > Template: qmail/override > +Type: boolean > +_Description: Override pre-existing qmail installation? > + An existing installation of qmail has been detected. Please choose > + whether you want this installation to be overriden. I hope "override" here isn't a mistake for "overwrite". Still, either word seems close enough. Why would this require the admin's attention? Do Qmail users have to manually okay each new in-place upgrade? -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
--- ../qmail-1.03.pristine/debian/qmail.templates 2010-03-17 12:07:40.000000000 +0000 +++ debian/qmail.templates 2010-03-23 12:50:43.000000000 +0000 @@ -1,69 +1,77 @@ Template: qmail/readme Type: note -_Description: README - Before making any changes to your qmail configuration, please read - /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This contains a description of the - differences bewtween other mailers on Debian, qmail on Debian, and qmail on - other systems. - . - If you were using sendmail (or smail) previously, you will also want to read - the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between - sendmail and qmail. +_Description: Notice for qmail users + Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a + description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in + other systems, and other mail transfer agents. + . + If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want + to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible + differences between Sendmail and Qmail. . - If you are new to qmail, you will want to at least peruse the qmail FAQ, which - can be found in /usr/doc/qmail + If you are new to Qmail, you will want to at least peruse the Qmail FAQ, which + can be found in /usr/share/doc/qmail. Template: qmail/start -Type: select -_Choices: yes, no -_Description: Do you want to start qmail now? +Type: boolean +_Description: Start Qmail now? Template: qmail/reboot Type: note _Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot - Or you can start qmail manually when - you are ready by typing (as root) "/etc/init.d/qmail start" at a shell prompt. + You chose not to start Qmail now. It will be started + automatically at next reboot. + . + You can also start it manually with "/etc/init.d/qmail start" + (as root) at a shell prompt. Template: qmail/userpurge -Type: select -_Choices: yes, no -_Description: Remove qmail users during a purge? +Type: boolean +_Description: Remove Qmail users during a purge? + Please choose whether you want users created by the qmail package + to be removed when this package is purged. Template: qmail/recipientmap -Type: note -_Description: WARNING - recipientmap is gone from qmail-1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism - has been expanded to support virtual users. You will need to fix your setup. +Type: error +_Description: Changes for virtual users + recipientmap is gone from Qmail 1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism + has been expanded to support virtual users. This machine's setup + needs to be fixed. Template: qmail/qlist Type: note -_Description: WARNING - qlist has been split into a separate package by Dan Bernstein (the - author of qmail) since qmail-1.02. - . - qlist has not been packaged because ezmlm does a better job, - but if you still want qlist, you can either get it direct from - http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html +_Description: qlist utility discontinued + The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream + developer in Qmail 1.02. + . + This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can + however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html. . - Please check in /usr/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes since qmail 1.01 + Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes + since Qmail 1.01. Template: qmail/inetd -Type: note -_Description: inetd.conf changes - inetd does not handle qmail terribly effectively, so - the default instalation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead. +Type: error +_Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes + The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling Qmail, so + the default installation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead. . For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled. . This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using - /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than hosts allow (see /usr/doc/qmail/README for details) + /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see + /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details). Template: qmail/tcpupdate Type: note _Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver Template: qmail/override -Type: select -_Choices: yes, no -_Description: Pre-existing qmail installation detected. Override? - +Type: boolean +_Description: Override pre-existing Qmail installation? + An existing installation of Qmail has been detected. Please choose + whether you want this installation to be overriden. + . + Do not choose this option if you need to preserve the current setup + for Qmail.
Template: qmail/readme Type: note _Description: Notice for qmail users Before making any changes to Qmail configuration, please read /usr/share/doc/qmail/README.Debian.gz. This file includes a description of the differences between Qmail in Debian, Qmail in other systems, and other mail transfer agents. . If you were using a more conventional MTA previously, you will also want to read the "qmail-upgrade" manpage, which details user-visible differences between Sendmail and Qmail. . If you are new to Qmail, you will want to at least peruse the Qmail FAQ, which can be found in /usr/share/doc/qmail. Template: qmail/start Type: boolean _Description: Start Qmail now? Template: qmail/reboot Type: note _Description: Qmail will be started at the next reboot You chose not to start Qmail now. It will be started automatically at next reboot. . You can also start it manually with "/etc/init.d/qmail start" (as root) at a shell prompt. Template: qmail/userpurge Type: boolean _Description: Remove Qmail users during a purge? Please choose whether you want users created by the qmail package to be removed when this package is purged. Template: qmail/recipientmap Type: error _Description: Changes for virtual users recipientmap is gone from Qmail 1.03. The virtualdomains mechanism has been expanded to support virtual users. This machine's setup needs to be fixed. Template: qmail/qlist Type: note _Description: qlist utility discontinued The qlist utility was split out into a separate tarball by the upstream developer in Qmail 1.02. . This utility has not been packaged as it can be replaced by ezmlm. It can however be downloaded from http://pobox.com/~djb/qlist.html. . Please check in /usr/share/doc/qmail and the man pages for changes since Qmail 1.01. Template: qmail/inetd Type: error _Description: Internet superserver configuration file (inetd.conf) changes The inetd superserver is not very efficient at handling Qmail, so the default installation uses tcpserver from ucspi-tcp instead. . For this reason, the smtp line in /etc/inetd.conf has been disabled. . This means that you must configure things such as RELAYCLIENT using /etc/tcp.smtp, rather than /etc/hosts.allow (see /usr/share/doc/qmail/README for details). Template: qmail/tcpupdate Type: note _Description: Updating /etc/tcp.smtp database for tcpserver Template: qmail/override Type: boolean _Description: Override pre-existing Qmail installation? An existing installation of Qmail has been detected. Please choose whether you want this installation to be overriden. . Do not choose this option if you need to preserve the current setup for Qmail.