ports/162049: The Ports tree lacks a framework to restart services

[Scott Lambert]

On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 11:15:00AM +0200, Ed Schouten wrote:
> Hi folks,
> 
> As crees@ suggested, I'm sending an email to ports@ about this.
> 
> What really bothers me when I use the FreeBSD Ports tree on one of my
> systems, is that the behaviour of dealing with services is quite
> inconsistent. 
> 
> My question is whether anyone has ever attempted to improve the
> integration with rc-scripts? In the PR I propose something along these
> lines:
> 
> 	We know exactly which ports install rc scripts (USE_RC_SUBR).
> 	Why not run `/usr/local/etc/rc.d/${FOO} status' and
> 	`/usr/local/etc/rc.d/${FOO} stop' prior to installation. Based
> 	on the return value of the first, we can run
> 	`/usr/local/etc/rc.d/${FOO} start' after installation.

If all of that is contingent upon a boolean knob the admin can set,
something like NO_RESTART_SERVICES, I suspect everyone could get
what they want and the bikeshed would be limitted to what the default
for that boolean should be.

The people who don't want the services restarted automagically can
set it and, once things use the new ports framewoork properly, not
have to worry about suprises.  The people who want everything to
restarted as soon as possible can set the knob the other way.  

It could help keep our less sophisticated users from continuing to
run vulerable versions of software after they think they have done
what is needed to get the patched software.  The sophisticated users
would still be free to choose which foot to shoot.

A side effect might, eventually, be to encourage ports maintainers
to analyse their ported software for incompatible config changes
so that they can programatically halt the install and output a
warning message before attempting to stop the old daemon then
upgrading while a likely un-usable config is in place.

I see it as win, win, if there is a knob.

I do not like either option without a knob, depending on the box
we are talking about.

-- 
Scott Lambert                    KC5MLE                       Unix SysAdmin
lambert at lambertfam.org