confmodule(3)

NAME

   confmodule - communicate with Debian configuration system FrontEnd.

SYNOPSIS

     #!/bin/sh -e
     . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule
     db_version 2.0
     db_capb 'backup'
     CAPB=$RET
     db_input 'foo/bar' || true
     db_go || true

DESCRIPTION

   This  is  a  library  of  shell functions that eases communication with
   Debian's configuration management system. It  can  communicate  with  a
   FrontEnd  via  the debconf protocol. The design is that each command in
   the protocol is  represented  by  one  function  in  this  module.  The
   functionname  is  the  same  as the command, except it is prefixed with
   "db_" and is lower-case. Call the function and pass in  any  parameters
   you  want  to  follow  the  command.  Any  textual return code from the
   FrontEnd will be returned to  you  in  the  $RET  variable,  while  the
   numeric return code from the FrontEnd will be returned as a return code
   (and so those return codes must be captured or ignored).

NOTES

   Once this library is loaded, any text  you  later  output  will  go  to
   standard  error,  rather  than standard output. This is a good thing in
   general, because text sent to standard output  is  interpreted  by  the
   FrontEnd  as commands. If you do want to send a command directly to the
   FrontEnd, you must output it to file descriptor 3, like this:
     echo GET foo/bar >&3

   The library checks to make sure it is actually speaking to  a  FrontEnd
   by examining the DEBIAN_HAS_FRONTEND variable. If it is set, a FrontEnd
   is assumed to be running. If not, the library turns into one, and  runs
   a  copy  of  the  script  that loaded the library connected to it. This
   means that if you source this library, you should do so  very  near  to
   the  top  of your script, because everything before the sourcing of the
   library may well be run again.

SEE ALSO

   debconf-devel(7),      dpkg-preconfigure(8),       dpkg-reconfigure(8),
   debconf_specification in the debian-policy package

AUTHOR

   Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>

                                                             CONFMODULE(3)

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