debconf, can't get it to conf

[Alainkr]

Hello,

I'm doing on a on a debian wheezy the vanila :

    - debconf: name=locales question='locales/locales_to_be_generated'  value='en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8, fr_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8' vtype='multiselect'

    - debconf: name=locales question='locales/default_environment_locale' value=fr_FR.UTF-8 vtype='select'

yet nothing happens...

/etc/default/locale untouched

cat ./locale.gen |grep -v "^#" untouched

The strange thing is that on the 1st pass state is "changed" and not after. 

What I a missing ?

Thanks

Alain

[Karl E. Jorgensen]

Hi

On Thu, Sep 11, 2014 at 08:40:33AM -0700, Alainkr wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm doing on a on a debian wheezy the vanila :
>
> - debconf: name=locales question='locales/locales_to_be_generated' value=
> 'en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8, fr_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8' vtype='multiselect'
> - debconf: name=locales question='locales/default_environment_locale' value
> =fr_FR.UTF-8 vtype='select'
>
>
> yet nothing happens...
>
> /etc/default/locale untouched
> cat ./locale.gen |grep -v "^#" untouched

That is to be expected. Debconf only changes the configuration
*database* - which is typically used when pre-seeding installation of
packages.

Once installed, changing this will have little effect: Well-behaved
packages will read the current configuration files (files: not debconf
database), and use those as defaults for the configuration answers.
So I cannot see it being of any use unless you are *installing*
packages.

To reconfigure packages afterwards, you're better off updating the
relevant configuration files - usually followed by a restart of the
relevant daemon(s).

It is worth noting that the debconf database must not be confused with
a registry. It is not. The *real* configuration is in the
configuration files : /etc/somewhere. Debconf is just a handy way for
package developers to interact with the user, and not worry about the
user interface.

>
> The strange thing is that on the 1st pass state is "changed" and not
> after.

Yes - It changed the value in the database on the first run. On
subsequent runs, the database value does not need changing.

Hope this helps

--
Karl E. Jorgensen

[Alainkr]

Okay thanks for your reply.

But what is the use case for debconf with locales as illustrated in the http://docs.ansible.com/debconf_module.html

Once a use debconf what's next ?

Thanks

Alain