Re: debconfig-common new template text review

On Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 2:15 PM Justin B Rye <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> 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.

+1 here.

>
> 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?

Our work will serve to sid and mysql-server-8, #debian-mysql is opened
if anyone is interested. We have been discussing these topics there as
well (about package both ways and synchronization).

>
> >> (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.