Clarify mandatory config files in /etc

Add the /etc/cron.hourly directory to the list of cron directories.
/etc/cron.* files now must be configuration files (upgraded from
should).  Mention the various scripts that must be configuration files
in the section about configuration files.  Thanks, Frank Küster.
Closes #403391.

git-archimport-id: rra@debian.org--lenny/debian-policy--devel--3.7--patch-42

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 744e7b3fb16557b6c9c377d42429fde8d3b5b7d3..0870accf4b9cbaa1ca96c3189925ace62b7f98c6 100644 (file)
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ debian-policy (3.7.4.0) unstable; urgency=low
   * Bug fix: "[Amended] copyright should include notice if a package is
     not a part of Debian distribution", thanks to Taketoshi Sano
                                                              (Closes: #65577).
+  * Bug fix: "scripts as configuration files: should vs. must", thanks to Frank
+    Küster                                                   (Closes: #403391).
   * Bug fix: "Examples of dpkg frontends should mention apt now", thanks
     to Josh Triplett                                         (Closes: #455602).
   * Bug fix: "Minor typos and wording suggestions", thanks to Michael

diff --git a/policy.sgml b/policy.sgml
index 1ad9699bf85362d57bb259de148ceef02e94f75a..ae7149ff130ac8c9b8bc39ccbe62db152ed9a82f 100644 (file)
--- a/policy.sgml
+++ b/policy.sgml
@@ -6388,12 +6388,13 @@ Reloading <var>description</var> configuration...done.
          via cron, it should place a file with the name of the
          package in one or more of the following directories:
          <example compact="compact">
+/etc/cron.hourly
 /etc/cron.daily
 /etc/cron.weekly
 /etc/cron.monthly
          </example>
          As these directory names imply, the files within them are
-         executed on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis,
+         executed on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis,
          respectively. The exact times are listed in
          <file>/etc/crontab</file>.</p>
 
@@ -6401,13 +6402,12 @@ Reloading <var>description</var> configuration...done.
          All files installed in any of these directories must be
          scripts (e.g., shell scripts or Perl scripts) so that they
          can easily be modified by the local system administrator.
-         In addition, they should be treated as configuration
-         files.
+         In addition, they must be treated as configuration files.
        </p>
 
        <p>
-         If a certain job has to be executed more frequently than
-         daily, the package should install a file
+         If a certain job has to be executed at some other frequency or
+         at a specific time, the package should install a file
          <file>/etc/cron.d/<var>package</var></file>. This file uses the
          same syntax as <file>/etc/crontab</file> and is processed by
          <prgn>cron</prgn> automatically. The file must also be
@@ -7206,10 +7206,13 @@ ln -fs ../sbin/sendmail debian/tmp/usr/bin/runq
          </p>
 
          <p>
-           Note that a script that embeds configuration information
-           (such as most of the files in <file>/etc/default</file> and
-           <file>/etc/cron.{daily,weekly,monthly}</file>) is de-facto a
-           configuration file and should be treated as such.
+           As noted elsewhere, <file>/etc/init.d</file> scripts,
+           <file>/etc/default</file> files, scripts installed in
+           <file>/etc/cron.{hourly,daily,weekly,monthly}</file>, and cron
+           configuration installed in <file>/etc/cron.d</file> must be
+           treated as configuration files.  In general, any script that
+           embeds configuration information is de-facto a configuration
+           file and should be treated as such.
          </p>
        </sect1>
 

diff --git a/upgrading-checklist.html b/upgrading-checklist.html
index 5b6b5c9f057621df71f8c07b0d03c31cb8a04fef..2358c2f4aef577c42daf88ffed8bb510a09f37c4 100644 (file)
--- a/upgrading-checklist.html
+++ b/upgrading-checklist.html
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ picking your way through this list.
        prevents installation of the breaking package unless the package
        named in Breaks is deconfigured first.  This field should not be
        used until the dpkg in Debian stable supports it.         [6.5, 6.6, 7]
+     * Files in /etc/cron.{hourly,daily,weekly,monthly} must be
+       configuration files (upgraded from should).  Mention the hourly
+       directory.                                                [9.5]
      * Manual pages in locale-specific directories should use either the
        legacy encoding for that directory or UTF-8.  Country names should
        not be included in locale-specific manual page directories unless