/var/run and /var/lock may be volatile

/var/run and /var/lock may be mounted as temporary filesystems, and init
scripts must therefore create any necessary subdirectories dynamically.

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 197a6f40a64032f5188229ba35d0824cc22f5cc1..9e30dfed3bc0c8aa6ee8099e7af26bddfa6478c6 100644 (file)
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ debian-policy (3.8.1.0) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     Seconded: Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>
     Seconded: Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <hmh@debian.org>
     Closes: #513955
+  * Policy: /var/run and /var/lock may be volatile
+    Wording: Colin Watson <cjwatson@debian.org>
+    Seconded: Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>
+    Seconded: Bill Allombert <Bill.Allombert@math.u-bordeaux1.fr>
+    Closes: #514326
   * Improve the documentation of maintainer script actions for diversions
     in the informative appendix to allow for addition of a new diversion
     on upgrade and handle error cases correctly.  Thanks to Olivier Berger

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index 3ea83255bf906b9a3e51e8470b58f3525bf47737..8bb8b3f4f6964733992625ca5ed8ac0bf9ff49cb 100644 (file)
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -6062,6 +6062,18 @@ test -f <var>program-executed-later-in-script</var> || exit 0
            script must behave sensibly and not fail if the
            <file>/etc/default</file> file is deleted.
          </p>
+
+         <p>
+           <file>/var/run</file> and <file>/var/lock</file> may be mounted
+           as temporary filesystems<footnote>
+               For example, using the <tt>RAMRUN</tt> and <tt>RAMLOCK</tt>
+               options in <file>/etc/default/rcS</file>.
+           </footnote>, so the <file>init.d</file> scripts must handle this
+           correctly. This will typically amount to creating any required
+           subdirectories dynamically when the <file>init.d</file> script
+           is run, rather than including them in the package and relying on
+           <prgn>dpkg</prgn> to create them.
+         </p>
        </sect1>
 
        <sect1>

diff --git a/upgrading-checklist.html b/upgrading-checklist.html
index cc2934eb52a3c43e13701c4de088ff65efe7e5b3..f98001271ace4d44b5ef5f518e6611f90f5ebfe1 100644 (file)
--- a/upgrading-checklist.html
+++ b/upgrading-checklist.html
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ picking your way through this list.
        arguments and supports assignment.                        [10.4]
      * User mailboxes may be mode 600 and owned by the user rather than
        mode 660, owned by user, and group mail.                  [11.6]
+     * /var/run and /var/lock may be mounted as temporary filesystems, and
+       init scripts must therefore create any necessary subdirectories
+       dynamically.                                              [9.3.2]
 
 3.8.0.0                        Jun 2008