[Bug 394093] [NEW] branding-ubuntu should use config-package-dev

[Evan Broder]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: branding-ubuntu

branding-ubuntu currently uses hand-written maintainer scripts to create
and remove dpkg-diversions at install and uninstall time.

config-package-dev was created to simplify packages that do exactly that
(albeit with slightly different paths). We created config-package-dev at
MIT in January of 2008 for the Debathena Project
(http://debathena.mit.edu/), and it's currently used in 45 separate
packages distributed as part of our small distribution. config-package-
dev has been in the Ubuntu archives since Intrepid. The package's
homepage is at <http://debathena.mit.edu/config-packages/>.

Files that are configured by packages using config-package-dev are
installed to the same location as the file they replace, but with a
suffix. For example, to replace /usr/share/gnome-
games/gnometris/pixmaps/gnometris.svg, you could install your
replacement to /usr/share/gnome-
games/gnometris/pixmaps/gnometris.ubuntu.svg.

At installtime, the postinst (which is automatically generated by
config-package-dev) diverts gnometris.svg to gnometris.ubuntu-orig.svg,
and symlinks gnometris.svg to your gnometris.ubuntu.svg. This entire
process is undone by the (similarly autogenerated) prerm script when the
package is uninstalled, leaving configured files in the exact state they
were in before the package was installed.

http://debathena.mit.edu/config-packages/#philosophy and
http://debathena.mit.edu/config-packages/#architecture contain more
background information which may be useful.

I've updated the branding-ubuntu package to use config-package-dev. My
version is attached. You now only have to edit one file to add new
branding files. I think this is a huge benefit for future
maintainability of the package.

The Debathena team and I have extensive experience using config-package-
dev, and would be glad to provide any assistance we can.

** Affects: branding-ubuntu (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
branding-ubuntu should use config-package-dev
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/394093
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