Re: gnu packaging ideas

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   > We shouldn't need such a file with instructions.  The kitten
   > translator will take care of adding users to the main /etc/passwd
   > file, and other such files.

   I think letting the translator add users is a bad idea.

Do you have any specific concerns about it? From my point of view,
passwd is just another configuration file, and the user can always
check what packages add things to /etc/passwd by doing `ls -l
/stow/*/etc/passwd' or similar.

   I think that a text message with instructions could be fine. Or at
   least a minimal script for this kind of things.

We could have `configure scripts' for each package that the user runs
manually at a later stage, or a file in
/share/doc/PACKAGE/README.setup or similar.  I can't think of many
such programs that need such a thing though, and I think that if they
do we can always come up with a better way of doing it.  Do you know
of any packages that use (and need) this feature?

   BTW if the package managing is done by the translator..we can put
   these install/deinstall scripts or messages in the tree.

What do you mean?