What's the format of the debconf config.dat file?











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debconf has a file at /var/cache/debconf/config.dat that contains answers to configuration questions. For example,



Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
Template: libpam-runtime/profiles
Value: unix, systemd
Owners: libpam-runtime
Variables:
profile_names = mkhomedir, unix, systemd
profiles = activate mkhomedir, Unix authentication, Register user sessions in the systemd control group hierarchy


What are Name and Template and why do they always seem to be the same? Value and Owners seem clear enough. Most of all, what is the Variables part for? I thought the whole stanza was describing a variable.










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    debconf has a file at /var/cache/debconf/config.dat that contains answers to configuration questions. For example,



    Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
    Template: libpam-runtime/profiles
    Value: unix, systemd
    Owners: libpam-runtime
    Variables:
    profile_names = mkhomedir, unix, systemd
    profiles = activate mkhomedir, Unix authentication, Register user sessions in the systemd control group hierarchy


    What are Name and Template and why do they always seem to be the same? Value and Owners seem clear enough. Most of all, what is the Variables part for? I thought the whole stanza was describing a variable.










    share|improve this question


























      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite











      debconf has a file at /var/cache/debconf/config.dat that contains answers to configuration questions. For example,



      Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
      Template: libpam-runtime/profiles
      Value: unix, systemd
      Owners: libpam-runtime
      Variables:
      profile_names = mkhomedir, unix, systemd
      profiles = activate mkhomedir, Unix authentication, Register user sessions in the systemd control group hierarchy


      What are Name and Template and why do they always seem to be the same? Value and Owners seem clear enough. Most of all, what is the Variables part for? I thought the whole stanza was describing a variable.










      share|improve this question















      debconf has a file at /var/cache/debconf/config.dat that contains answers to configuration questions. For example,



      Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
      Template: libpam-runtime/profiles
      Value: unix, systemd
      Owners: libpam-runtime
      Variables:
      profile_names = mkhomedir, unix, systemd
      profiles = activate mkhomedir, Unix authentication, Register user sessions in the systemd control group hierarchy


      What are Name and Template and why do they always seem to be the same? Value and Owners seem clear enough. Most of all, what is the Variables part for? I thought the whole stanza was describing a variable.







      debian ubuntu debconf






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      edited Dec 7 at 5:19









      Stephen Kitt

      162k24360438




      162k24360438










      asked Dec 6 at 23:57









      Dan Ellis

      1385




      1385






















          1 Answer
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          up vote
          2
          down vote



          accepted










          Technically, that stanza is describing a Question, in debconf terminology.



          As for Template, from the doc text of the corresponding Perl module:




          When a new template is created, a question is created with the same
          name as the template. This is to ensure that the template has at least
          one owner -- the question, and to make life easier for debconf users
          -- so they don't have to manually register that question.



          The owner field, then, is actually used to set the owner of the
          question.




          It's likely that most users of debconf didn't need to create additional questions based on the same template.



          To understand the Variables part, you need to look up the corresponding template. In this case, profiles is a list of choices (see /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat):



          Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
          Choices: ${profiles}
          Choices-c: ${profile_names}
          Description: PAM profiles to enable:
          ...


          And from man 7 debconf, this is an instance of the select variable type:



          select A choice between one of a number of values. The choices must be specified in
          a field named 'Choices'. Separate the possible values with commas and
          spaces, like this:
          Choices: yes, no, maybe


          The Choices-C field is closely related:



          DEBCONF_C_VALUES
          If this environment variable is set to 'true', the frontend will display the values
          in Choices-C fields (if present) of select and multiselect templates rather than
          the descriptive values.





          share|improve this answer





















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            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes








            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            2
            down vote



            accepted










            Technically, that stanza is describing a Question, in debconf terminology.



            As for Template, from the doc text of the corresponding Perl module:




            When a new template is created, a question is created with the same
            name as the template. This is to ensure that the template has at least
            one owner -- the question, and to make life easier for debconf users
            -- so they don't have to manually register that question.



            The owner field, then, is actually used to set the owner of the
            question.




            It's likely that most users of debconf didn't need to create additional questions based on the same template.



            To understand the Variables part, you need to look up the corresponding template. In this case, profiles is a list of choices (see /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat):



            Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
            Choices: ${profiles}
            Choices-c: ${profile_names}
            Description: PAM profiles to enable:
            ...


            And from man 7 debconf, this is an instance of the select variable type:



            select A choice between one of a number of values. The choices must be specified in
            a field named 'Choices'. Separate the possible values with commas and
            spaces, like this:
            Choices: yes, no, maybe


            The Choices-C field is closely related:



            DEBCONF_C_VALUES
            If this environment variable is set to 'true', the frontend will display the values
            in Choices-C fields (if present) of select and multiselect templates rather than
            the descriptive values.





            share|improve this answer

























              up vote
              2
              down vote



              accepted










              Technically, that stanza is describing a Question, in debconf terminology.



              As for Template, from the doc text of the corresponding Perl module:




              When a new template is created, a question is created with the same
              name as the template. This is to ensure that the template has at least
              one owner -- the question, and to make life easier for debconf users
              -- so they don't have to manually register that question.



              The owner field, then, is actually used to set the owner of the
              question.




              It's likely that most users of debconf didn't need to create additional questions based on the same template.



              To understand the Variables part, you need to look up the corresponding template. In this case, profiles is a list of choices (see /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat):



              Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
              Choices: ${profiles}
              Choices-c: ${profile_names}
              Description: PAM profiles to enable:
              ...


              And from man 7 debconf, this is an instance of the select variable type:



              select A choice between one of a number of values. The choices must be specified in
              a field named 'Choices'. Separate the possible values with commas and
              spaces, like this:
              Choices: yes, no, maybe


              The Choices-C field is closely related:



              DEBCONF_C_VALUES
              If this environment variable is set to 'true', the frontend will display the values
              in Choices-C fields (if present) of select and multiselect templates rather than
              the descriptive values.





              share|improve this answer























                up vote
                2
                down vote



                accepted







                up vote
                2
                down vote



                accepted






                Technically, that stanza is describing a Question, in debconf terminology.



                As for Template, from the doc text of the corresponding Perl module:




                When a new template is created, a question is created with the same
                name as the template. This is to ensure that the template has at least
                one owner -- the question, and to make life easier for debconf users
                -- so they don't have to manually register that question.



                The owner field, then, is actually used to set the owner of the
                question.




                It's likely that most users of debconf didn't need to create additional questions based on the same template.



                To understand the Variables part, you need to look up the corresponding template. In this case, profiles is a list of choices (see /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat):



                Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
                Choices: ${profiles}
                Choices-c: ${profile_names}
                Description: PAM profiles to enable:
                ...


                And from man 7 debconf, this is an instance of the select variable type:



                select A choice between one of a number of values. The choices must be specified in
                a field named 'Choices'. Separate the possible values with commas and
                spaces, like this:
                Choices: yes, no, maybe


                The Choices-C field is closely related:



                DEBCONF_C_VALUES
                If this environment variable is set to 'true', the frontend will display the values
                in Choices-C fields (if present) of select and multiselect templates rather than
                the descriptive values.





                share|improve this answer












                Technically, that stanza is describing a Question, in debconf terminology.



                As for Template, from the doc text of the corresponding Perl module:




                When a new template is created, a question is created with the same
                name as the template. This is to ensure that the template has at least
                one owner -- the question, and to make life easier for debconf users
                -- so they don't have to manually register that question.



                The owner field, then, is actually used to set the owner of the
                question.




                It's likely that most users of debconf didn't need to create additional questions based on the same template.



                To understand the Variables part, you need to look up the corresponding template. In this case, profiles is a list of choices (see /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat):



                Name: libpam-runtime/profiles
                Choices: ${profiles}
                Choices-c: ${profile_names}
                Description: PAM profiles to enable:
                ...


                And from man 7 debconf, this is an instance of the select variable type:



                select A choice between one of a number of values. The choices must be specified in
                a field named 'Choices'. Separate the possible values with commas and
                spaces, like this:
                Choices: yes, no, maybe


                The Choices-C field is closely related:



                DEBCONF_C_VALUES
                If this environment variable is set to 'true', the frontend will display the values
                in Choices-C fields (if present) of select and multiselect templates rather than
                the descriptive values.






                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Dec 7 at 6:37









                muru

                35.9k584159




                35.9k584159






























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