Runit-services package - looking for comments/review

[Lorenzo]

Hi Matthew,

On Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:15:30 +0000
Matthew Vernon <matthew at debian.org> wrote:

> > 
> > I implemented a very simple flag-file approach to
> > register/deregister a service directory as runit-services's
> > conffile.
> 
> I'm inclined to agree with Martin that "ucf" is the Debian tool for 
> managing configuration files such as init scripts; and that that's 
> probably what you should be using.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Matthew
 
The first problem here is that with runit you don't have a service
script, but a service directory with several files inside and the sum
of all files defines the service.
The second problem is that the directory is actively monitored by a
monitor (runsv) process and if the daemon dies during the upgrade it is
automatically restarted.

I think the two above call at least for atomic upgrade of each single
file or better of the whole directory at once.
I did check ucf two month ago and it does not handle directory (only
single files) and I think (not 100% sure) it uses cp to overwrite.

So my conclusion was that I need a specific tool that accounts both for
Debian policy about conffiles and the fact that I'm dealing with
deamontools-like directories, and that such tool does not exist(?)

On the other hand what I'm doing with runit-services only deals with
the first problem as I'm still not sure what's the right way to deal
with the second. Also, on the conffile Policy side I've already spotted
a couple of corner cases where the package is buggy (likely RC)..

A possible way forward could be to keep it simple, provide service
under /usr/share/runit/sv/ , a tool that can properly
install/upgrade/purge services in /etc/sv/ and let the user deal with
that manually. Of course with a manpage and an explanation in the
README.
Less headaches for the DD that reviews the package ( for me too) and
also less chances that the package is Rejected by FTPMasters.
Automatically synch the service directory is a nice feature but maybe
I'm aiming too high.

Thoughts?

Lorenzo