[Debconf-devel] Bug#481987: dpkg-reconfigure: unset $HOME

[Karl Chen]

Package: debconf
Version: 1.5.21
Severity: wishlist


Hi, I suggest that dpkg and dpkg-reconfigure unset $HOME or
set it to ~root before invoking /var/lib/dpkg/info/*.  When
invoked through sudo, $HOME is the non-root user's home
directory, which system-wide configuration shouldn't have
anything to do with.  (I experienced symptoms while
installing/upgrading aspell, whose postinst config
accidentally uses $HOME/.aspell.conf.)

Then again perhaps the onus should be on maintainers to
write their scripts to ignore $HOME in case someone invokes
them directly...  In that case something like
HOME=/var/nonexistent might help detect problems earlier.