Re: debconfig-common new template text review

Paul Gevers wrote:
>>    Please specify which of the available plugins the package ${pkg}
>>    should configure database user accounts to use for authentication
>>    with MySQL.
> 
> Ack. Although that sentence for me as a non-native speaker is difficult
> to parse. I love it that Dutch makes it one word (such that on first
> read, my mind doesn't stop three times, but only once for "database user
> accounts"). I don't know how to improve that though.

The only way I can find of breaking it back up is;

      The package ${pkg} needs to know which plugin it should configure
      database user accounts to use for authentication with MySQL. Please
      select one from the list of available plugins.

>> Maybe we could avoid the word [default] and say:
>> 
>>    Leaving the selection set to its original value will always work,
>>    but other options may not be supported by ${pkg}.
> 
> With remote databases the phrase "will always work" is dangerous. It
> will work (minus bugs) if the database and the client are on the same
> Debian/derivative release. Cross releases isn't possible to guarantee.
> So I'd rather claim "should always work" or maybe you can come up with a
> smarter (more extensive) disclaimer.

If debconf can't be trusted to get this right automatically then it
seems unsafe to treat this as a low-priority template.

Rafael's explanation of the different cases said that "PROBLEMS" arise
with new cacti using a version of MySQL >= 8.0.11.  But hang on, Sid
only has mysql-server-5.7 - does this mean the problem is only with
using a non-Debian remote database server?

>> (Even if it isn't possible to get the name of ${pkg}'s preferred
>> plugin onto the screen here, presumably it could at least be in a
>> README somewhere?)
> 
> Yes. Paragraph 1.4.1 of the proposed database policy [1] also mentions
> that: "With this in mind, directions for manually installing (and
> upgrading if relevant) the database must be included in the
> documentation for the package."

So we might say something vaguely like:

      Leaving the selection set to its original value should work unless
      a remote server is using unpredictable defaults, but other options
      may not be supported by ${pkg}. If problems arise [describe
      possible symptoms?], see /usr/share/doc/${pkg}/README.whatever.gz.