Another call for improvements

[Res]

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006, shuttlebox wrote:

> On 6/11/06, Res <res at ausics.net> wrote:
>> Jules,
>>
>>         How about consideration of change to the src install script
>> like on our redhat counterpart servers, those that use /opt like slackware
>> et al takes extra time to move shuffle and and follow the upgrade process
>> for MS and Langs requires intervention, so my question is whats wrong with
>> just doing it the same way as RH version where it just updates and 
>> overwrites?
>> This saves moving our mrtg and rules files and any customized reports
>> etc as well as stuffing around with upgrade sripts :)
>> 
>> Its still a good idiea I think to keep it under /opt as makes easy
>> install from backups if something goes pear shaped,  rather than a
>> symlink, make it a a true /opt/MailScanner.
>> 
>> I have looked at it and I can see no ill effects for doing it this way,
>> but thats me :)
>
> That's a very bad idea if you ask me. I manage both RPM and non-RPM
> systems running MS and I find it much easier and less risky to update
> the non-RPM systems due to the symlink approach. I can take all day
> during full production tinkering with the new system making sure every
> config file is the way I want it before switching the symlink. If
> something still goes wrong I'm back in a second to the old config.

So you don't backup before upgrade then? I've always done so,
cp -a MailScanner /opt/mailscan.old   first, so my recovery is 3 seconds 
if I need it, but i've never had to roll back yet.

>
> With the RPM systems everything seems easier but you still have to
> diff the files just the same and much worse - you have to do that
> while the system is offline.

eh? never taken it offline to do so, just service MailScanner stop/start 
after upgrade, and diff takes a few seconds, i've never had a corruption 
yet, i know i know, "yet" is a dangerous word, which is why most our units 
our slackware, only 2 are rpm distros

>
> I would like it to stay the way it is.
>
>

OK 1 for 1 against, I'll throw into this one in as well, perhaps an 
install option for the upgrade over-write way so those that want to do it 
as it is  now can  ./install.sh -fast  and for those that want full
automation  maybe, ./install.sh -fast -upgrade


-- 
Cheers
Res