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[Lionel Le Folgoc <lionel@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for your work on this!

> Ok, the fix is:
> - The lightdm-gtk-greeter package no longer provides any configuration.

Looks ok until this sentence, and then when I read what's below, I'm
starting not to understand why such a complex solution is used...

> - This package recommends the virtual package lightdm-gtk-greeter-config.
> - There is a new package lightdm-gtk-greeter-config-ubuntu which provides a
> configuration file suitable for Ubuntu.
> 

No, please don't do that, several packages to share one conffile don't
look like the right solution to me (not to mention that having to go
through NEW now is a waste of archive admin's time).

> So derivatives should make a package that:
> - Provide, conflict and replace lightdm-gtk-greeter-config

This is definitely a bad idea: it is already hard enough to be able to
co-install two derivatives because of unexpected conflicts that arise (a
few releases back, it was due to libsdl-{alsa,pulse}, then notification-
daemon, and now that?); with such a solution it will be completely
impossible.

> - Contain the file /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf
> 
> Suggested naming scheme, lightdm-gtk-greeter-config-xubuntu, lightdm-
> gtk-greeter-config-lubuntu etc.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but you could use alternatives
instead of this complicated solution. This is what was done in the old
times of gdm (before its rewrite), and seemed to work fine (sorry if I
look like an u-a fanboy, but as this worked in the past with gdm, I feel
we're reinventing the wheel, but with a squared shape this time).

1/ All packages stop shipping /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf.

2/ lightdm-gtk-greeter (or lightdm-gtk-greeter-config-ubuntu if you
insist on splitting it) ships /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter-
ubuntu.conf , registered as /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf by u-a
with the lowest priority in the maintainer scripts: "update-alternatives
--install /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf lightdm-gtk-greeter-
config-derivative /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter-ubuntu.conf 10"

3/ xubuntu-default-settings ships /etc/xdg/xdg-xubuntu/lightdm-gtk-
greeter.conf, registered as /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf by u-a
with an higher priority in the maintainer scripts: "update-alternatives
--install /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf lightdm-gtk-greeter-
config-derivative /etc/xdg/xdg-xubuntu/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf 30"

4/ lubuntu-default-settings ships /etc/xdg/xdg-lubuntu/lightdm-gtk-
greeter.conf, registered as /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf by u-a
with an higher priority in the maintainer scripts: "update-alternatives
--install /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf lightdm-gtk-greeter-
config-derivative /etc/xdg/xdg-lubuntu/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf 50"

5/ etc.

It's easy to change by an admin using "u-a --config lightdm-gtk-greeter-
config-derivative", is not a conffile upgrade nightmare to handle, and
doesn't involve any conflict for the package manager.

Additionally, all packages doing that can provide lightdm-gtk-greeter-
config (no replace nor conflict) to be easily found.

What do you think?

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop
Packages, which is subscribed to lightdm in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/845549

Title:
  Do not ship /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf

Status in “lightdm” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Committed
Status in “lightdm” source package in Oneiric:
  Fix Committed

Bug description:
  Hi,

  Currently, the lightdm-gtk-greeter binary package ships /etc/lightdm
  /lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf as a conffile. This is nice for users,
  because they'll get the usual dpkg prompt on upgrades. Unfortunately,
  it's not that great for derivatives where this greeter is used and a
  custom theming is needed.

  I tested quickly, and the gtk greeter is still able to start, and work
  without this config file. So could you please stop shipping it (*and
  handle gracefully its removal in maintainer scripts* -- sorry for the
  highlight, but you didn't do that for /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf for
  0.4.x -> 0.9.x upgrades...).

  This would allow derivatives to ship their own config file to theme
  the greeter (currently, I can't theme it for Xubuntu without either
  doing some not-so-great things with dpkg-divert, or worse, sed, or
  forking the greeter just to change its settings...).

  Thanks.

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