CONFMODULE(3)						     Library Functions Manual						     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 func-
       tionname  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 gen-
       eral, 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 Fron-
       tEnd 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)