On Fri, 29 Sep 2006, Hubert Feyrer wrote:
> From src/distrib/sets/lists/etc/mi:
> 
> # Note: end-user configuration files that are moved to another
> #       location should not be marked "obsolete"; they should
> #       just be removed from the set list, a custom fix should be
> #       added to postinstall(8), and an item should be added to
> #       src/UPDATING for MKUPDATE=yes users.  This is an exception
> #       to the general rule that moved/removed files are marked as
> #       "obsolete", because we don't want to arbitrarily remove
> #       end-user configuration files.
>
> I wonder if this should be extended from end-user config files to
> logfiles as well. That way someone who performs an upgrade won't have
> the file removed, and new installations just won't have it any more.

I'd be equally upset if "postinstall fix obsolete" deleted a log file or
if it deleted a locally-modified configuration file.  I think it should
only delete files that came from the OS distribution and have not been
locally modified.

I suggest a new keyword to be used in the set lists, meaning "obsolete,
but likely to be precious".  "postinstall check" could print a list of
such files; "postinstall fix obsolete" would *not* delete them, but
"postinstall fix obsolete-but-precious" would delete them.

--apb (Alan Barrett)