Webware for Python

On Thu, Nov 08, 2001 at 03:13:32AM -0800, Chuck Esterbrook wrote:
> I see the following line in the webkit init script:
> 
> [ -f $WEBKIT_DIR/AppServer ] || exit 0
> 
> 
> Does this seem a bit strange to anyone? It exits silently if the app
> server cannot be located.
> Seems like it should bitch instead, right?

This is a common practice on Debian Linux at least.  The normal
procedure for removing software leaves the configuration files behind.
(If you really want to remove all traces of a program, "dpkg --purge".)
This avoids losing your customizations if you need them later; e.g., if
the program was automatically uninstalled to avoid a conflict with
another program.  

The test ensures the startup will fail gracefully if the program has
been removed.  Normally the test is -x rather than -f: -x verifies the
file is executable, -f verifies only that it exists.

-- 
-Mike (Iron) Orr, iron@...  (if mail problems: mso@...)
   http://iron.cx/     English * Esperanto * Russkiy * Deutsch * Espan~ol

On Thursday 08 November 2001 09:31 am, Mike Orr wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 08, 2001 at 03:13:32AM -0800, Chuck Esterbrook wrote:
> > I see the following line in the webkit init script:
> >
> > [ -f $WEBKIT_DIR/AppServer ] || exit 0
> >
> >
> > Does this seem a bit strange to anyone? It exits silently if the app
> > server cannot be located.
> > Seems like it should bitch instead, right?
>
> This is a common practice on Debian Linux at least.  The normal
> procedure for removing software leaves the configuration files behind.
> (If you really want to remove all traces of a program, "dpkg --purge".)
> This avoids losing your customizations if you need them later; e.g., if
> the program was automatically uninstalled to avoid a conflict with
> another program.
>
> The test ensures the startup will fail gracefully if the program has
> been removed.  Normally the test is -x rather than -f: -x verifies the
> file is executable, -f verifies only that it exists.

The unfortunate side effect is that I had the path wrong and instead of getting an error message, my app server simply didn't start.

I very much prefer errors over silent but deadly failures.

But you're not the only person who pointed out that this it the standard practice, so I'll leave it as it in CVS.

I agree with -x and will change it.

-Chuck

On Fri, Nov 09, 2001 at 07:23:01AM -0800, Chuck Esterbrook wrote:
> On Thursday 08 November 2001 09:31 am, Mike Orr wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 08, 2001 at 03:13:32AM -0800, Chuck Esterbrook wrote:
> > > I see the following line in the webkit init script:
> > >
> > > [ -f $WEBKIT_DIR/AppServer ] || exit 0
> > >
> > >
> > > Does this seem a bit strange to anyone? It exits silently if the app
> > > server cannot be located.
> > > Seems like it should bitch instead, right?
> >
> > This is a common practice on Debian Linux at least.  The normal
> > procedure for removing software leaves the configuration files behind.
> > (If you really want to remove all traces of a program, "dpkg --purge".)
> > This avoids losing your customizations if you need them later; e.g., if
> > the program was automatically uninstalled to avoid a conflict with
> > another program.
> >
> > The test ensures the startup will fail gracefully if the program has
> > been removed.  Normally the test is -x rather than -f: -x verifies the
> > file is executable, -f verifies only that it exists.
> 
> The unfortunate side effect is that I had the path wrong and instead of getting an error message, my app server simply didn't start.
> 
> I very much prefer errors over silent but deadly failures.
> 
> But you're not the only person who pointed out that this it the standard practice, so I'll leave it as it in CVS.
> 
> I agree with -x and will change it.

If you're concerned about other errors being masked over, put a comment
in the startup script saying to comment this line if you know that
Webware is installed (or should be installed) and it still doesn't work.  
Or you could use a debugging option that bypasses the test.  (But the
problem with a debugging option, of course, is that newbies won't know
to set it.)  Or leave the test line commented by default and let the
distribution maintainers change it for their distribution (which is
supposedly tested and preconfigured out of the box).

-- 
-Mike (Iron) Orr, iron@...  (if mail problems: mso@...)
   http://iron.cx/     English * Esperanto * Russkiy * Deutsch * Espan~ol