[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#208514: add-shell should not depend on passwd : what's *really* intended here?

Herbert Xu Herbert Xu <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>, 208514@bugs.debian.org
Thu, 14 Apr 2005 07:49:30 +1000


On Wed, Apr 13, 2005 at 08:05:44PM +0200, Christian Perrier wrote:
> 
> I've just read the bug log for #208514 and I must admit that, even if
> I understand the topic in general (Herbert did not want to make his
> shell package depend on passwd if it needs add-shell to add it to
> /etc/shells), I don't understand what is *really* suggested.

The reason why it's bad to depend on passwd is because at least one
shell (bash) is essential.

> -should we move add-shell out of the passwd binary package and make it
>  Essential?

That would be one solution.  Alternatively you can have the
shell drop a file somewhere and have the passwd package process
that in its postinst.

> -what is bad in the current situation where all shells needing
>  add-shell just test for it to be here?

The reason shells need to depend on passwd is because if you
install shells without passwd being on the system, and then install
the passwd package, those shells will not show up in /etc/shells.

Anyway, I don't really care about this so feel free to close this bug.

Cheers,
-- 
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Email: Herbert Xu ~{PmV>HI~} <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>
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