[debian-mysql] About removing /var/lib/mysql on purge

[Clint Byrum]

Excerpts from Petr Vorel's message of 2014-11-26 13:28:55 -0800:
> Hi there,
> 
> > /var/www does not belong to apache.
> $ dpkg -S /var/www/
> apache2.2-common: /var/www
> 
The difference is that apache does not _write_ things into /var/www. It
is not responsible for /var/www/*, just for /var/www since it puts an
index.html there. So _if it is empty_ dpkg will remove it.

That is a far cry from mysqld which creates many files in /var/lib/mysql
and manages them exclusively.

Purge is for wiping every trace of a package from your system. It is
poorly documented as such, but piuparts is enforcing policy and is
correct in identifying mysql as a package which does not, by default,
clean up after itself on purge.

(also Petr, please try to reply in the thread so threaded readers get
references and the archives retains references as well)