On 11/18/2009 11:34 AM, John Dennis wrote:
I couldn't find this in the guidelines and I'm looking for clarification. When a package generates data as a consequence of it's runtime operation should the package data also be removed along with the package files when the package is uninstalled (i.e. rpm -e)? Issues: * It may be a user expectation that removing a package removes all the files associated with the package even if they are not package files (listed in %files). Most people remove packages because they don't want or need the package any more and don't want cruft left behind, they want a clean uninstall which recovers the maximum disk space possible without "orphans" * Generated data may have value after the package is removed, for some users it might be an unpleasant experience to discover after removing a package the data files were wiped out too. * It's not possible to query the user at uninstall time as to the disposition of data files because the uninstall (like install's) may be scripted. My inclination is the packaging guidelines should encourage the removal of data files generated by the package when the package is removed.
Packages, in general, should not create data outside of what's managed by %files. A crutch that could be beneficial here is prudent use of
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