Bug#990344: exim 4.94.2 update default configuration option breaks MTA

[sawbona at xsmail.com]

Hello:

Thank you very much for taking the time to write.

On 29 Jun 2021 at 19:05, Marc Haber wrote:

> The "exim installer" is called dpkg and is a core package ...
Yes, I am quite aware of that.
Which is *exactly* the reason I did not file a bug against dpkg.

If anything, in the many years I have been using Linux, dpkg has 
always worked seamlessly every time and never shown me a bug. 

Kudos for that. 8^)

But the bug I filed is against exim 4.94.2.

> You have a point ...
Yes, I *do* have a point.
But unfortunately I am not being able to get it across.

That dpkg pop up a *different* warning was meant to be an example of 
sorts, not to be taken literally.

To drive home the concept, so to speak.

Maybe the wrong example as I am not versed in the inner workings of 
dpkg (or anything Linux for that matter) although today I learnt 
something about how dpkg works.

Like I have said previously:

The problem is with the exim 4.94.2 package.

It should *not* be able/allowed to use *any* of a previously 
installed version's configuration files when updated.

Much less (and yes, it *is* a bug) offer the user the choice of 
keeping *any* of them when it gets installed by dpkg.  

Now, *how* it does that, whether through a well written script, a 
previous [c]apt-get purge exim4[/c] or dev-magic (joke!) should be 
absolutely transparent to the end user and result in a properly 
installed MTA.

And not a hopelessly broken one piling up warnings in paniclog. 

> I apologize, but there is nothing the Debian exim maintainers ...
So I gather.

Well, that's that.
I did my part and reported the problem.

It is now up to the exim maintainers to do what they think is best.

Greetings.

CIV