On 02/05/2023 15:07, Scott Kitterman wrote: > On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 8:35:12 AM EDT Einhard Leichtfuß wrote: >> On 02/05/2023 00:56, Scott Kitterman wrote: >>> On Monday, May 1, 2023 3:20:19 PM EDT Einhard Leichtfuß wrote: >>>> On 01/05/2023 19:47, Scott Kitterman wrote: >>>>> On Monday, May 1, 2023 1:01:17 PM EDT Einhard Leichtfuß wrote: >>>>>> On 01/05/2023 18:14, Scott Kitterman wrote: >>>>>>> On Monday, May 1, 2023 11:06:07 AM EDT Einhard Leichtfuß wrote: >>>>>>>> Package: postfix >>>>> >>>>> ... >>>>> >>>>>>>> In `main.cf`, the following lines were appended: >>>>>>>>> readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix >>>>>>>>> html_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/html >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> If I understand the postinst script correctly, this modification of >>>>>>>> `main.cf` should only have happened upon first installation, which >>>>>>>> this >>>>>>>> was not. I was unable to reproduce this. So maybe this modification >>>>>>>> was indeed done earlier. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> However, even upon initial installation (with pre-existing >>>>>>>> configuration), this should, in my opinion, not happen. >>>>> >>>>> ... >>>>> >>>>>>> Also, note that the message about is about main.cf not being modified. >>>>>>> These changes are in master.cf, so I don't understand the concern with >>>>>>> the message? >>>>>> >>>>>> The second modification (readme_directory, html_directory) was to >>>>>> `main.cf`. While this modification should only happen for initial >>>>>> installations (with pre-existing configuration), the message is >>>>>> displayed even then. >>>>>> >>>>>> Steps to reproduce (assuming postfix is not installed): >>>>>> >>>>>> $ apt install postfix-doc >>>>>> $ echo > /etc/postfix/main.cf >>>>>> $ apt install postfix >>>>> >>>>> To focus in on the main.cf part of this, I believe that's per policy. >>>>> >>>>> First, it's a change made by postfix-doc, not postifx, so the postfix >>>>> package statement that main.cf was not modified by it is correct and >>>>> unrelated to the main.cf change. >>>> >>>> Ah, I did not check the postfix-doc postinst script. It seems that both >>>> postfix-doc's and postfix's postinst scripts conditionally run >>>> >>>> postconf -e readme_directory=/usr/share/doc/postfix >>>> >>>> html_directory=/usr/share/doc/postfix/html >>>> >>>> However, postfix's postinst script only does so in the arguably rare >>>> case that postfix-doc was installed first. So one might argue that this >>>> is still an action performed for postfix-doc falling under Policy 10.7.4. >>>> >>>>> For the postfix-doc change to main.cf, Policy 10.7.4 is the relevant >>>>> portion. Postfix-doc uses the provided interface (postfconf), when >>>>> available. >>>> >>>> It is not clear to me that Policy 10.7.4 overrides Policy 10.7.3 w.r.t. >>>> the requirement not to override local changes. While this may very well >>>> not be the intention behind these policies, I'd understand them as such >>>> that the related package (postfix-doc) must only [be able to] modify the >>>> configuration file if it does not contain local changes. >>>> >>>> I.e., either the provided program (currently postconf) should refuse to >>>> modify a locally modified configuration file, or the related package >>>> (postfix-doc) should check for local changes itself. >>>> >>>> I am generally unsure, however, how detection of local modification is >>>> supposed to work in practice without using conffiles. I suppose a >>>> second configuration file copy that is modified by postinst scripts, but >>>> not the local administrator, should work. >>> >>> Preserve local modifications means don't undo specific changes made by the >>> local administrator. It does not mean make no changes to a file that an >>> administrator has made changes to. The use of postconf specifically >>> enables changing the values relevant to postfix-doc without disturbing >>> anything else in the file. I think this is fine. >> >> I agree that preserving local changes does not generally mean not to >> modify locally modified files. (Even though I'd prefer it to mean that.) >> >> However, unless I am mistaken, the postinst scripts do not preserve >> local changes to the readme_directory and html_directory configuration >> settings. >> >> In practice (given postfix-doc is [being] installed), such local changes >> probably either do not happen, or the values are exactly those set by >> the postinst scripts. >> >> That is, in such an unlikely case, the letter of the Policy would be >> violated, I think, but it may still be considered fine in practice. I >> cannot assess that. > > I agree with that analysis. I think it is technically a policy violation, > but > one that is very unlikely to ever be an issue (I think it's fine in practice). > > I still need to do further assessment on the master.cf portion of this bug. > We're approximately a month away from a new Debian release. I am extremely > reluctant to mess with this so close to the release date, so any changes from > this bug are likely early in the next release cycle.
I understand. It also remains the small issue of the message claiming that no changes were made to main.cf, even if that was the case (via `postconf -e` - see "Steps to reproduce" above). Einhard Leichtfuß
