Re: /usr/local/etc/rc.conf

On Sat, 29 May 2004, Patrick Tracanelli wrote:

> I remember it has been discussed before, but the terms were a little bit
> different, so tell me, isn't it appropriate rc.subr to suck the
> configuration parameters from /usr/local/etc/rc.conf instead  of
> /etc/rc.conf when running startupscripts for third party applications
> (/usr/local/etc/rc.d/)?
>
> To keep the organization principles, I dislike putting those
> instructions into /etc/rc.conf when it should be read by 3rd party apps,
> since I consider /etc/ to be used by the base system. Altho' old style
> .sh scripts are still usefull under ${local_startup} dirs, ports
> maintainers tend to write new style rc scripts that uses rc.subr to read
> the user defined options (usually via /etc/rc.conf).
>
> Easy solution would be
>
> rc_conf_files="/etc/rc.conf /etc/rc.conf.local /usr/local/etc/rc.conf"
>
> into /etc/rc.conf, but it seems to be ignored by rc.subr when it's not
> at /etc/defaults/rc.conf;
>
> Some 3rd party startupscripts read rc.subr from /usr/local/etc/, so if
> it suck only ${PREFIX}/etc/rc.conf options, would force users to
> configure it in the right place, but it would break POLA and since some
> scripts read /etc/rc.subr instead if ${PREFIX}/etc/rc.subr, would also
> break some ports (very very bad idea).
>
> So, to allow ports startupscript to be configured from
> /usr/local/etc/rc.conf but also prevent people who are today used to mix
> everything in /etc/rc.conf from having their app. not starting, defining
>
> rc_conf_files="/etc/rc.conf /etc/rc.conf.local /usr/local/etc/rc.conf"
>
> into /etc/defaults/rc.conf would just do it, nothing would break and
> port's pkg-message could start trying to educate users to populate
> /usr/local/etc/rc.conf for ports startup options and leaving
> /etc/rc.conf only for the base system...

Having multiple locations for system startup parameters (A là Windows) is
a maintenance headache even when there's a logical method to the
madness. I'm saying this as the admin of 6 racks packed with 1U and 2U
machines. Be gentle... ;)

Regards,
Andy

> Andre Guibert de Bruet | Enterprise Software Consultant >
> Silicon Landmark, LLC. | http://siliconlandmark.com/    >