[Pkg-utopia-maintainers] Bug#690987: Bug#690987: Debdiff with new script to handle /etc/network/interfaces

[Michael Biebl]

Hi Maximiliano,

thanks for your work on this!

On 29.11.2012 00:46, Maximiliano Curia wrote:
> 
> The script that is used to comment out the interfaces in
> /etc/network/interfaces was so buggy that I had to write it completly from
> scratch to make it work properly.

Nod, the existing script is indeed horrible.

> I have added a number of tests, to verify that the script does what it is
> supposed to do.  I added the cases listed in the reported bugs, and also other
> cases taken from different computers I had access to.
> 
> The script comments out the whole block that refers to one iface, not just the
> iface line.  In the case of mappings, it doesn't comment them out.  This could
> be changed if it was decided that the desired behaviour was to also comment
> them out, I didn't do it because the original script didn't even take them
> into account.
> 
> I'm attaching the debdiff that modifies this script and adds the corresponding
> tests (executed from debian/rules during the dh_auto_test step).
> 
> I would like to hear opinions about this script from the maintainers or other
> interested parties.  In the case that I don't get any replies, I would do the
> NMU in a couple of days.


I will have a closer look this weekend, so expect a more detailed reply
then.

I just wanted to let you know, that there has been work in the
debian-installer (which will land in beta5 or rc1), to write NM system
connection configs.
This means, if NM is installed during the system installation (e.g. via
the desktop task),  d-i will write an empty /e/n/i and create configs
for /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ directly.

For the common case it should thus no longer be necessary to run the
ifblacklist.sh script. Because of that I have been considering dropping
it completely, since not everyone was happy that is has been running
unconditionally.
So far I refused to drop the script or put it behind a debconf prompt,
because that would have meant, basically everybody would see this prompt
or have an unmanaged network device.

With the updates in d-i, this situation has changed though.

The script is still useful for the case, where someone does a minimal
installation and later on installs NM / the desktop task.
If we are going to keep the script, I'm inclined to now put it behind a
debconf prompt, so people can opt-out from the "/e/n/i mangling".
I would actually make the default to *not* run the script.

That said I'd also like to have further opinions on this, especially
from the release team, since this will concern them anyway once I
request an unblock.

I basically see three options

a/ drop the ifblacklist.sh script

b/ fix the script and continue to run it unconditionally during the
initial installation (what we do today)

c/ fix the script and add a debconf prompt, so it is no longer run
unconditionally.
The default for the debconf prompt would be *not* to run the script.
We'd also have to make sure the debconf prompt is not shown in d-i.


Michael



-- 
Why is it that all of the instruments seeking intelligent life in the
universe are pointed away from Earth?

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