wu-ftpd installation quirk

[David Gowdy]

When I installed the wu-ftpd package on Ubuntu 8.04.1 (Desktop) it 
wouldn't start.  It might be better to say that it couldn't be started 
via what I understand to be the prescribed methods for Ubuntu/Debian.

In my case, there is no Internet Super Server (inetd) installed.  As 
best I can tell this would be the case for everyone running a freshly 
installed (i.e., out-of-the-box) Ubuntu Desktop system.  The installer 
for this package added the initiation script (wu-ftpd) to /etc/init.d as 
well as the script (S50wu-ftpd) in the appropriate /etc/rc?.d 
directories that are used for starting the server automatically when the 
system is started.  However, it also added a record (entry) in 
/etc/inetd.conf.  One would expect the purpose is to allow an inetd 
server to control the startup of the ftp service when or if such a 
server is installed.  However, it appears as though the wu-ftpd script 
checks to see if the ftp service is under the control of inetd.  This is 
done by inspecting /etc/inetd.conf and then if an entry is found therein 
the wu-ftpd script opts to do nothing.  The result is that wu-ftpd 
cannot be started with any of the prescribed methods (e.g., 
automatically at system startup or from the console using the command 
"/etc/init.d/wu-ftpd start".

My workaround was to remove the entry from /etc/inetd.conf but of course 
this leaves me, rather than the package management system responsible 
for this bit of maintenance.  I'm thinking that there should be a way to 
devise a more effective method of dealing with the package maintainers 
problem of wanting the package to to be installed and maintained 
properly on system that are running either with or without an inetd 
super server.

Given the possibility that I simply don't understand the intended method 
for starting this service I'd be grateful for some clarification.

Sincerely, David Gowdy