On Tue, Jul 24, 2001 at 11:09:55PM -0400, gabriel rosenkoetter wrote:
> Uh... not that one inode is particularly likely to cause problems,
> and I understand why this file *is* in the default mtree (despite
> the fact that pkgsrc is not part of the default install), but the
> "right" way to make this complaint go away is not to just create a
> file, but rather to remove the mk.conf entry in /etc/mtree/special.

  Keep in mind that /etc/mk.conf is not just a pkgsrc-related file.
Its existence predates the existence of pkgsrc---it is included
via bsd.own.mk. It is common to use it to tweak system builds, not
just package builds, and if it were left in a world-writable state
(e.g.), it would pose a potential security risk about which it would
be useful to be notified.

  To decide what is best for you, ask yourself a few questions:

    * Am I so certain I'll never want to create mk.conf that I'm
      better off deleting the mtree entry?

    * Will I be bothered by having to delete it anew each time I
      update the /etc/mtree files?

    * If I ever do create mk.conf, will I remember to put back the
      mtree entry?

    * Is it better to create a dummy mk.conf, both to serve as a
      reminder that I might want to put some useful stuff in it
      someday, and to keep the security script quiet?

> It'd be a good idea to tune that file for your system in general,
> having it monitor other files changes to which you'd like to know
> about.

  To simplify tracking of the distributed mtree files, which change
fairly frequently in the distribution, it might be more convenient in
the long run to set up a separate invocation of mtree with its own
database of files of local interest. Of course, this means no
deletions as well.

--Jim

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