Arch Linux

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

I've removed a couple of packages that were supposed to modify and use /etc/rc.conf and /etc/rc.local and it used /etc/rc.multi and the rest of /etc/rc.*.
The problem is, it surely is a matter of like 10 minutes for me to fix that but I need my workstation to go up and run even if I'm away.
I'm not sure if this issue has already been discussed or if it stands in the manual, whichever. But as I removed that package, pacman removed all the /etc/ files of the package just like the rest. I'm used to Gentoo's behavior considering this issue: Portage does not delete any configuration files. Why does pacman do that? Especially files without which my system won't boot?

Is there a awy to switch it off? In /etc/pacman.conf the option NoUpgrade refers to these files but it's been like of no use in this case.

Thanks.

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

did you remove the initscripts package? if you have a package that removed the initscripts when removed, the package is *obviously* not an official arch package, and is made poorly....
if you removed the initscripts package, then you got exactly what you would expect... it removed the initscripts....

I think there's a backup option to force a ".pacnew/.pacsav" creation for changed files... *shrug* I've never uninstalled the initscripts myself, as that would obviously make a box unbootable...

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http://phraktured.net

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

It was initscripts-gensplash. Not the initscripts package itself... Which I guess had been deleted on installing initscripts-gensplash. Odd...

Whatever...

Thanks a lot phrakture!

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

It was initscripts-gensplash. Not the initscripts package itself... Which I guess had been deleted on installing initscripts-gensplash. Odd...

Whatever...

Thanks a lot phrakture!

yes, be very careful with custom initscripts ... maybe send a PM to dibblethewrecker (writer of those initscripts) and see if there's anything he can do about it.... maybe link him to this forum and we can all discuss it... *shrug*

maybe you could try doing a "pacman -S initscripts" to replace the gensplash ones... dunno, really

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http://phraktured.net

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

doing a "pacman -S initscripts" to replace the gensplash ones... dunno, really

Did it while writing my previous post.

And thanks for the tip, I'll contact dibblethewrecker.

dtw

Forum Fellow

From: UK

Registered: 2004-08-03

Posts: 4,439

Website

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

This is the line from my pkg

backup=(etc/inittab etc/rc.conf etc/rc.local)

these are the only files backed up when this pkg is installed or uninstalled - if you did pacman -R then yeah it will remove all the scripts but backup those, this is standard initscripts pkg behaviour:

backup=(etc/inittab etc/rc.conf etc/rc.local)

This is the line from the stock pkg.

Basically my pkg works perfectly, it's just that a) initscripts are sensitive things to mess with b) pacman does have a habit overwriting custom initscripts files even if you ask it to back them up - i already filed bugs about it and it is being "sorted".

Not my fault i'm afraid!

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

Thanks for replying, dibblethewrecker!

Yeah, it's just like vital packages shouldn't be removed that easily, in my opinion.

dtw

Forum Fellow

From: UK

Registered: 2004-08-03

Posts: 4,439

Website

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

well, sorry to have to say this to you but i think it is assumed that you know well enough that if you remove your initscripts your system won't boot.

i agree that it can be easy to do inadvertantly, esp when you are playing some idiots custom initscripts, but i'm not sure it should be considered as a functionaility issue - you could suggest that you be asked by pacman to double check removing system critical packages - but i think you are likely to get a "you should know better" kind of response

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

That's for sure.

I'm saying rather that pacman should not replace/remove/modify/touch/whichever already existing configuration files that are in /etc. I do not claim that your package performs something it shouldn't.

dtw

Forum Fellow

From: UK

Registered: 2004-08-03

Posts: 4,439

Website

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

no, i know you're not

that has been suggested before several times and they are def looking at - you can have sift through the bugtracker and add you experiences.

same thing has happened to me by the way

neonik

Member

Registered: 2004-04-10

Posts: 14

Re: Pacman deletes configuration files on package remove

Alright, thanks.

Hey, I'm not the only one here who's had fun, that's great.