Re: debconfig-common new template text review

Hello Paul,

> On 06-08-2019 13:50, Justin B Rye wrote:
>> Paul Gevers wrote:
>>> Slight complication: this template is not used during configuration of
>>> dbconfig-common, but during configuration of the package that uses
>>> dbconfig-common. So the wording should probably not use dbconfig-common
>>> (as the user should need to care about what tool is being used by the
>>> package to ask the question). Some for "consumer", there is a place
>>> holder that can be set, such that it can say "this allows the choice to
>>> vary for <package>" but that obviously is weird because that *should* be
>>> known (it isn't but we could fix that, although I don't think we want to
>>> fix that.)
>> 
>> So maybe:
>> 
>>   Template: dbconfig-common/mysql/authplugin
>>   Type: select
>>   Choices: default, mysql_native_password, sha256_password, caching_sha2_password
>>   __Choices: unspecified, native, SHA256, caching
>>   Default: default
>>   _Description: Authentication plugin for MySQL database:
>>    Please specify whether a particular MySQL authentication plugin should
>>    always be used when packages need to create new users. Most of the time,
>>    the default option of leaving the plugin unspecified will work - this
>>    allows different packages to choose for themselves.
>>    .
>>        * unspecified: let packages override the MySQL default;
>>        * native: no MySQL authentication plugin is used;
>>        * SHA256: a more secure password encryption algorithm;
>>        * caching: SHA2 plus an in-memory authentication cache.

> Sorry to say, but I am still not extremely happy with the current
> wording, because I don't think it reflects what's really happening. I'm
> finally having time to think about it myself.

> Are all debconf front-ends guaranteed to show the existing selection?
> The problem with "this allows different packages to choose for
> themselves" is that one shouldn't choose "unspecified/default", but one
> should rather not change the selection. Because a package can have
> changed the default from unspecified to one of the other settings.

> Also I don't think how the plugin is used is crisp and clear.

> So, how about (I'm not 100% happy yet):
> """
> Please specify whether a particular MySQL authentication plugin should
> be enforced for the new users created by ${pkg} . Most of the time,
> not changing the current selection will work - if ${pkg} doesn't support
> the default it should have changed the selection to a working one.
> """

Please specify whether a particular MySQL authentication plugin should
be enforced for the new users created by ${pkg}. For the majority of
packages, keeping it unspecified will work and, if ${pkg} doesn't
support MySQL default plugin, it should have changed it automatically
to a working one during installation time.

> Also, I think Justin fully understood the meaning of
> default/unspecified. And the other templates don't have a colon, so
> let's stick with a dash:
> """
>   * unspecified - use the default determined by the MySQL server
> """

I like "default determined by MySQL server. Should we mention MariaDB
here or elsewhere ? Because the default is different among both (and
Maria DB supports other plug-ins that aren't fully described in this list).

> @Rafael, why didn't you use the suggestion of Justin to translate the
> options? Nearly all other choices in dbconfig-common templates are
> translatable.

I thought giving the name of the plugin was better in this case,
instead of translating the MySQL plugin name into something
else (example: googling caching_sha2_password would take you to what
it means, and upstream documentation, directly).

> Paul

I'll wait for your confirmation before pushing a new change into the
last merge I proposed.

Thx a lot for reviewing this.