log loading of configuration files [was Re: Accounting to MySQL not working]

[Josip Rodin]

On Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 10:49:01AM +0200, Alan DeKok wrote:
> Josip Rodin wrote:
> > Then again, there is no clear indication to users which part of the large
> > debug output is important and which part is ignorable, so even if they don't
> > ignore it, it may still actually be too complicated for them to handle.
> 
>   The alternative is to run a system that you don't understand.  This
> isn't recommended.
> 
> > For example, add a debug level which would make all references to module
> > instances also include the config filename they were read from.
> 
>   The solution for too much debug output is even *more* debug output?
> 
>   I see your point, but I *still* think there will be issues reading the
> debugging output, even with having it print filenames.

If the debugging output isn't particularly straightforward - and with regard
to filenames it doesn't really have to be, because you can put practically
any kind of setting into what is nominally a virtual host file, it can be
clients or home servers or realms or whatever - then people will have issues
reading it. Add to that this inherent ability to *silently* override one
setting with another from a different file, and then even more people will
have issues reading the debug output.

In other words, there was too much debug output of the wrong kind,
and too little debug output of the right kind, to debug that problem.
So the solution is to expand it in the areas where it needs expansion,
and reduce it in the areas where it's too verbose already. IOW, don't
just blurt out the list of files in the beginning, but put them down
there next to the settings that come from those files.

Though I think probably the best way forward in the matter of restructuring
debug output is to generally straighten out like with those new patches you
mentioned a few months back. What happened to that?

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.