Comment 39 for bug 14660

On 2005-03-29 22:49:13 +0200, Marc Haber wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 29, 2005 at 09:46:18PM +0200, Vincent Lefevre wrote:
> > BTW, /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf says:
> >
> > # Edit this file and /etc/mailname by hand and execute update-exim4.conf
> > # yourself or use 'dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config'
> >
> > so the user may think that he has the full control of this file,
>
> He has, but it is generated by debconf. Debconf reads in the file
> and takes the values from there during reconfiguration of the package,

and some changes by the user may be overwritten by a reconfiguration
of the package.

> but having multiple versions of the file replacing each other
> depending on environment is pretty exotic.

It's pretty common for those who use netenv.

[...]
> I don't see what the exim4 packages can do within reasonable bounds
> regarding to this particular problem without leaving a gazillion of
> other possible error cases unhandled.

Comments should be clear about who can modify the files and how.
If you want other examples, /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 begins with:

### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION
# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 server configuration file) generated by dexconf, the
# Debian X Configuration tool, using values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# If you want your changes to this file preserved by dexconf, only make changes
# before the "### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION" line above, and/or after the
# "### END DEBCONF SECTION" line below.

and /etc/fonts/fonts.conf begins with:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<!-- /etc/fonts/fonts.conf file to configure system font access -->
<fontconfig>

<!--
        DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE.
        IT WILL BE REPLACED WHEN FONTCONFIG IS UPDATED.
        LOCAL CHANGES BELONG IN 'local.conf'.

        The intent of this standard configuration file is to be adequate for
        most environments. If you have a reasonably normal environment and
        have found problems with this configuration, they are probably
        things that others will also want fixed. Please submit any
        problems to the fontconfig bugzilla system located at fontconfig.org

        Note that the normal 'make install' procedure for fontconfig is to
        replace any existing fonts.conf file with the new version. Place
        any local customizations in local.conf which this file references.

        Keith Packard
-->

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Vincent Lefèvre <email address hidden> - Web: <http://www.vinc17.org/>
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Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / SPACES project at LORIA