[OT] Debian mailinglists [was: RE: Debian or Ubuntu?]

[Derek Broughton]

Les Mikesell wrote:

> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>> 2008/5/20 Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca>:
>>> Again, yes.  Apache is less of a problem than some servers, in that I
>>> can hand edit the configs and test them before restarting Apache, but
>>> I'd be a lot happier with a tool that didn't let me write invalid config
>>> files in the first place.
>> 
>> It would not be difficult to write a program that parses httpd.conf
>> and warns about an invalid file.
> 
> Errr, there is one.  It's called "httpd -t" and it's unusual among
> syntax-checking programs in that it is always in sync with the syntax of
> the version of the program you are going to run - since it is the same
> thing...
> 
It _is_ unusual, but one has to wonder why.  Every program with a config
file has to be able to parse its config file - so why don't they all
provide the same sort of functionality.
-- 
derek