Bug#274404: exim4-config: after reconfiguration, does not restart daemon if it was stopped

[Danilo Piazzalunga]

Package: exim4-config
Version: 4.34-6
Severity: minor

Hello,

I noticed that, if the Exim daemon is stopped (e.g. because of a
configuration error), it won't be restarted after reconfiguration.

Example output:

    # /etc/init.d/exim4 stop
    Stopping MTA: exim4.
    # dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config
    [... configuration dialogs ...]
    Reloading exim4 configuration files
    No /usr/sbin/exim4 found running; none killed.
    invoke-rc.d: initscript exim4, action "reload" failed.

I think the problem is that exim4-config.config is assuming that the
daemon is up and running. Maybe it should either
 - try to restart if reloading fails, or
 - check if the daemon is running, and act accordingly.

Here is the point which causes the failure. It is located at the very
bottom of exim/debian/exim4-config.config:

    if [ "$1" = "reconfigure" ] && [ -x /etc/init.d/exim4 ] &&\
            command -v invoke-rc.d >/dev/null 2>&1; then
            invoke-rc.d exim4 reload || true
    fi

Best Regards,
	    Danilo


[All the clutter included by reportbug follows...]

-- Package-specific info:
Exim version 4.34 #1 built 11-Sep-2004 12:26:50
Copyright (c) University of Cambridge 2004
Berkeley DB: Sleepycat Software: Berkeley DB 3.2.9: (May 26, 2004)
Support for: iconv() IPv6 GnuTLS
Lookups: lsearch wildlsearch nwildlsearch iplsearch cdb dbm dbmnz dsearch nis nis0 passwd
Authenticators: cram_md5 plaintext
Routers: accept dnslookup ipliteral manualroute queryprogram redirect
Transports: appendfile/maildir/mailstore autoreply lmtp pipe smtp
Fixed never_users: 0
Configuration file is /var/lib/exim4/config.autogenerated

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (990, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.7-1-686
Locale: LANG=it_IT.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=it_IT.UTF-8

Versions of packages exim4-config depends on:
ii  adduser                     3.59         Add and remove users and groups
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]       1.4.38       Debian configuration management sy
ii  passwd                      1:4.0.3-30.1 Change and administer password and

-- debconf information excluded