Hi,

On Sun, May 03, 2015 at 01:09:52AM +0200, Raphaël Halimi wrote:
> By default dpkg-divert diverts a file with the ".distrib" extension. So
> I tried to make apt silently ignore this extension, but it didn't work.

The problem is that your setting is read too late to have any effect for
configuration files. It will effect e.g. sources or preferences through.
To have the desired effect you would need to set this option in a config
file specified by an APT_CONFIG environment variable.

apt.conf manpage defines such a file to be read before the 'usual'
configuration files which are read together and do not effect the
execution paths used to parse later files.


Theoretically we could change this (= to let the previous parsed file
effect the next one), but in practice I am not sure all this work would
have much point beside blowing up my head and the complexity meter.

I remember talking about adding a warning if apt notices that an option
is set "too late" in another bugreport, but I can't find it ATM. Someday
I might even implemented it…


> Additionally, since ".distrib" is the default extension added by
> dpkg-divert, maybe it should be added to the built-in list of silently
> ignored extensions. I can report a separate bug with severity wishlist
> if you think this is necessary.

Actually, I you aren't objecting I would like to repropose this
bugreport to request this as the rest should be covered by other
bugreports already.

I have to say that I wonder why you divert a config file through.
Changes to the file can be detected by dpkg and even if you remove it
dpkg will not add it again on a package upgrade.


Best regards

David Kalnischkies