dovecot - Apr 2008 - Feature Request - starting dovecot, config file behavior

Hey Timo,

I was wondering how much trouble it would be to again emulate the way 
postfix does something - in this case, the way it reads its config file 
when starting up.

Current behavior:

Postfix:
If postfix encounters the same setting defined more than once, the last 
one wins.

Dovecot:
If dovecot encounters the same setting defined more than once it gives 
an error (also when using the 'dovecot -n' command).

I like to add all of my changes to the very bottom of the config file, 
but otherwise leave the config file as is... this makes it very easy 
when updating - I can easily keep all of the new default config file, 
and simply merge my customizations at the end.

So - how hard would it be to make dovecot simply accept the last defined 
setting read, instead of refusing to start?

Thanks much, and glad to have you back in action!

-- 

Best regards,

Charles

On Fri, 2008-04-18 at 06:43 -0400, Charles Marcus wrote:
> Postfix:
> If postfix encounters the same setting defined more than once, the last 
> one wins.
This is how Dovecot also works, just tested..
> Dovecot:
> If dovecot encounters the same setting defined more than once it gives 
> an error (also when using the 'dovecot -n' command).
This is how I wish Dovecot worked. :)

So what setting exactly do you see giving an error, and what error?

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On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 06:43:37AM -0400, Charles Marcus
wrote:
> Hey Timo,
> 
> I was wondering how much trouble it would be to again emulate the way 
> postfix does something [...]
[last config item should win]

FWIW I was just bitten by something like that. Munging a distro-provided
postfix.cf (with all changes added at the bottom) and not seeing that.

The distro shall remain unnamed here :-)

Not to contradict you, just to provide one data point. Plus, it's kind
of funny it happened to me just today. Had you posted your request
sooner :-)

One man's meat is another man's poison, as the proverb says.

Regards
- -- tom?s
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On 4/18/2008 7:32 AM, Timo Sirainen wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-04-18 at 06:43 -0400, Charles Marcus wrote:
>> Postfix:
>> If postfix encounters the same setting defined more than once, the last
>> one wins.
> This is how Dovecot also works, just tested..
>> Dovecot:
>> If dovecot encounters the same setting defined more than once it gives 
>> an error (also when using the 'dovecot -n' command).
> This is how I wish Dovecot worked. :)
> 
> So what setting exactly do you see giving an error, and what error?
Weird...

This was an email I had started in my drafts folder... but I just 
tested, and you're right, its working now...

Either I'm crazy, or it didn't *used* to work that way - or maybe I had 
a typo in it...

Sorry for the noise...

-- 

Best regards,

Charles

on 4-18-2008 3:43 AM Charles Marcus spake the following:
> Hey Timo,
> 
> I was wondering how much trouble it would be to again emulate the way 
> postfix does something - in this case, the way it reads its config file 
> when starting up.
> 
> Current behavior:
> 
> Postfix:
> If postfix encounters the same setting defined more than once, the last 
> one wins.
> 
> Dovecot:
> If dovecot encounters the same setting defined more than once it gives 
> an error (also when using the 'dovecot -n' command).
> 
> I like to add all of my changes to the very bottom of the config file, 
> but otherwise leave the config file as is... this makes it very easy 
> when updating - I can easily keep all of the new default config file, 
> and simply merge my customizations at the end.
> 
> So - how hard would it be to make dovecot simply accept the last defined 
> setting read, instead of refusing to start?
> 
> Thanks much, and glad to have you back in action!
> 
That seems like a major change in function. To some admins it would be like 
suddenly having to drive your car from the other side. Maybe Timo will see it 
your way, but maybe not. And anything else that is parsing the config file 
might also get confused, like someones custom web frontend to config files.

If this major a change was added, it might be better to add it to the 2.0 tree.



-- 
MailScanner is like deodorant...
You hope everybody uses it, and
you notice quickly if they don't!!!!

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On 4/21/2008 1:15 PM, Scott Silva wrote:
>> So - how hard would it be to make dovecot simply accept the last 
>> defined setting read, instead of refusing to start?
> That seems like a major change in function. To some admins it would be 
> like suddenly having to drive your car from the other side. Maybe Timo 
> will see it your way, but maybe not. And anything else that is parsing 
> the config file might also get confused, like someones custom web 
> frontend to config files.
> 
> If this major a change was added, it might be better to add it to the 
> 2.0 tree.
According to Timo - and I confirmed... this is the way it works NOW...

-- 

Best regards,

Charles