Fixing bug #600574 - Would like to disable creation of log files and backup files entirely

[Geert Janssens]

I have created a patch that would fix bug #600574 [1].

I haven't committed it straight away because
1. it changes a string while we're in string freeze (at least that's how I 
understood).
2. it may cause unwanted removal of log/backup files when upgrading from 2.2.x 
to 2.4.x if the user had set the "Retain log files" preference to 0.

I don't know how many users we have that really would keep backups and log 
files forever and how important that data would be to them, so it's difficult 
for me to assess the impact.

If this patch would be accepted, the release notes should obviously clearly 
document this change in behaviour, including the potential risk. 

I do believe though that the change in functionality makes sense. For non-
technical people not keeping any logs if this preference is set 0 days would 
make much more sense than it to mean keep logs forever. That is my main 
decision to implement it this way.

I'm still pondering whether it would make more sense to apply the patch now, 
ignoring the string freeze, or waiting until after the 2.4 release.

For me personally, it feels better to introduce such a change in behaviour in 
a major release than in a minor one. I think a minor release should behave as 
consistent as possible while a major release can introduce new ways of doing 
things.

In that light I would propose to apply the patch still in the 2.3.x series.

Comments/thoughts/objections ?

Geert


[1] https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=600574