On Thu, Feb 01, 2007 at 02:28:31PM +0100, Axel Thimm wrote:
> Thanks for the pointer. I didn't know its existence. One
issue
> that arises now is whether a merge of
>
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageUserRegistry and this file
> (/usr/share/doc/setup-*/uidgid) is to be considered.
These are very different objects, the uidgid are fixed, absolute
uids/gids, while the wiki URL above is for the floating model of
adding uids/gids (e.g. there is some per-machine settable value that
is added).
Personally I strongly recommend against using the floating model,
because
a) the added base value is arbitrary
b) any change after the first install of the helper tool of this base
value will break all previous installs using this method
c) it isn't transparent to the user (admin) that some upper part of
his uid/gid space is reserved for this method, so he may be
accidentially using it.
I understand that and I recall some heated exchange between proponents
of different models. My impression was that this model was born because
it was impossible/very difficult to fix uidgids in core for extras
packages due to the division between core and extras, and that it would
be preferable to maintain a fixed uidgid for all applications/programs
that needed it. My impression was also that those programs listed in
the wiki actually wanted/needed a fixed uidgid, but could not get one
because of this difficulty.
Now that there should be no distinction between core and extras, the
fixed uidgid possibility should become available to former extras
packages, starting from those that probably needed it most (the ones in
the wiki).
That was my point really. If my understanding of the situation was not
correct, please accept my apologies.
Thanks,
-- Sarantis