[Debconf-devel] Bug#884964: Bug#884964: using "su - " in postinst causing some installs to fail

[Colin Watson]

Control: reassign -1 debian-policy

On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 09:17:50PM -0600, LinuxChix SysAdmin wrote:
> The use of "su - " in postinst is breaking package installs/upgrades only
> when there are file(s) in /etc/profile.d.
> 
> Details are in the two bug reports:
> 
> https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=884955
> https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=875958
> 
> I do not know what other packages may use "su - " but would suggest that
> this issue be documented in debconf-doc so maintainers/devs can avoid this.
> If I should file this some place else, please let me know.

This doesn't seem to have anything much to do with debconf, which is a
specific piece of technology commonly used in maintainer scripts rather
than being documentation of how to write maintainer scripts in general.

While it does seem worth writing maintainer scripts in a way that avoids
this kind of problem, I think that probably belongs in the policy
manual; I've reassigned your bug there.

Thanks,

-- 
Colin Watson                                       [cjwatson at debian.org]