On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 11:26 PM, Nico Kadel-Garcia <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 8:05 PM, Tom H <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> This is where the one of the major differences between the RPM packaging and
>>> the DEB packaging shows itself. Debian (and Debian-derivatives) take
>>> advantage of the possibility of interactive response in a DEB to deal with
>>> real upgrade issues; RPMs are not supposed to do any interaction with the
>>> user in any of the package's scriptlets. The DEB scripts have wide latitude
>>> in what they can do, and have several powerful tools available for use in
>>> the script. It does make complete unattended upgrading somewhat difficult,
>>> as it prompts the user for lots and lots of things and seemingly random
>>> times; IOW, it's not a 'start it and let it run overnight' thing without
>>> effort.
>>
>> You can add "%pre" and/or "%post" scripts requiring user-interaction
>> to an SRPM's spec file and package/repackage an RPM but it's very much
>> frowned upon. You won't get a "nice" debconf dialog but you can
>> _PROBABLY_ so the same thing.
>
> If I caught you doing it in a package I worked with or supported, I'd
> get cross. One might check for the presence of a 'tty' and act
> accordingly, but RPM updates are really supposed to be unattended.
>
> Mind you, I do like the various 'dpkg-reconfigure' tools from our
> Debian friends, the "reset the MySQL admin password" and "configure
> smarthost behavior for your mail server". Someone spent a lot of time
> making those work well.

If I were caught by my employer doing this, they'd more than "cross." :)

The debconf concept/infrastructure is good except in tow aspects. One,
preseed is convoluted because you're basically answering debconf
dialog boxes via text. Two, when I first used Debian, I ran an
"apt-get upgrade" or an "apt-get dist-upgrade", went off to do
something else, and later returned to that terminal expecting the
upgrade to be finished only to find it stuck at a debconf "yes/no"
dialog box. A frustrating experience for someone used to kickstart and
yum.