[Bug 985508] Re: dpkg-maintscript-helper 'mv_conffile' fails if target doesn't already exist

[Andreas Rütten]

I'm not sure if this is a defect in 'mv_conffile' of the dpkg-
maintscript-helper scripts.

dpkg-maintscript-helper handles conffiles.
But in this case the 'rules.v4' file of the package 'iptables-persistent' is a configuration file not a confile. 

Quote from the Depian Policy 10.7 [1]:
"Almost all conffiles are configuration files, but many configuration files are not conffiles."

A configuration file could be any file which customizes the behaviour of
a program. But a conffile has to be shipped within the package and
listed in a package's 'conffiles' file.

Neither the old 'rules' nor the new 'rules.v4' file are shipped within
the package and so they are not a conffile.


[1] http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-files.html#s-config-files

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/985508

Title:
  dpkg-maintscript-helper 'mv_conffile' fails if target doesn't already
  exist

Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  The 'mv_conffile' function only works if the target file exists by the
  postinst stage.

  This means the function doesn't support those packages where the new
  configuration file is optional and may not exist at postinst stage.

  The case in point is 'iptables-persistent' where the new 'rules.v4'
  may not exists after installation. Bug #967018

  A simple guard in front of the 'mv' command would add support.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
  Package: dpkg 1.16.1.2ubuntu7
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-virtual 3.2.14
  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-virtual x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu5
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Thu Apr 19 09:28:11 2012
  SourcePackage: dpkg
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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