#987969 privoxy: leftovers on purge

Package:
privoxy
Source:
privoxy
Description:
Privacy enhancing HTTP Proxy
Submitter:
Christoph Anton Mitterer
Date:
2021-05-10 12:18:03 UTC
Severity:
normal
#987969#5
Date:
2021-05-02 23:38:42 UTC
From:
To:
Hey.

I've just noted, that when purging the package, at least the user
is left behind and not removed.

Any reason for that?


Cheers,
Chris.
#987969#10
Date:
2021-05-03 06:55:58 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Christoph!

Thanks for your report.
Yes, there is a reason for disabling the user deletion on purge:

privoxy (3.0.6-3) unstable; urgency=low

  * According to http://wiki.debian.org/AccountHandlingInMaintainerScripts
    removing system users in postrm isn't a good idea. So the removal of
    user privoxy in postrm was disabled and deluser/adduser of existing
    user in postinst was also removed. This should avoid problems with
    purging privoxy if passwd package isn't installed (Closes: #417015).
#987969#15
Date:
2021-05-10 12:14:51 UTC
From:
To:
I made some comments on #621833. Especially, cleaning up the users
isn't really much worse than creating them in the first place.

Actually I'd even say it's better, from a security PoV, cause deleting
them will likely just loudly break things - while creating/using a user
which may already be used by someone likely introduces a privilege
issue.


Cheers,
Chris.