[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       gentoo-dev
Subject:    [gentoo-dev] Re: etc-update & ._cfg* files: major issue with gentoo?
From:       "Brian Jackson" <brian-lists () mdrx ! com>
Date:       2003-01-06 2:27:40
[Download RAW message or body]

I didn't even know about etc-update until I saw you mention it in your 
email. So, being the good sysadmin I am, I wrote a script that has similar 
functionality. I have actually been getting it ready to release for the past 
week or 2. I put it up at http://www.mdrx.com/brian/ It finds all the rogue 
._cfg* files and diff's them against the real cfg file and displays the 
diff's. Let me know if you find any problems with it. Also let me know if 
you would like to see any other features. 

 --Brian Jackson 

Dhruba Bandopadhyay writes: 

> Hello, 
> 
> I am having great difficulty dealing with one particular feature of gentoo
> and would like to bring it to your attention.  I am writing in length
> since I very much like gentoo and would like to do whatever I can to
> further its progress. 
> 
> When emerging packages configuration files beginning with ._cfg* are left
> in /etc and other locations and on subsequent emerges portage warns that
> one has X number of files remaining.  Now, on many occassions I have had
> several of these files on my system and have postponed dealing with them
> simply because they are a hassle.  Once in a while however, I use
> etc-update to sort them with care. 
> 
> There are many problems with the way this is done for a non-expert user
> (which may include myself) and the ones below are only a few of them. 
> 
> (1) It is not completely clear which files should be deleted and which
> overwritten.
> (2) Errors can result from making necessary changes using etc-update.
> (3) There are no guidelines on the use of etc-update.   Although,
> documentation does warn that etc-update can be dangerous and must be used
> with care, how is the non-expert user to interpret this advice and how
> much does it really tell him about the use of it?
> (4) If files are not sorted they stay in their locations indefinitely,
> increase in number and portage warns the user about them on its every use.
> (5) Even if one does see differences in older versions and new ones how
> does one tell if these differences should be preserved or discarded?
> (6) If errors or difficulties result how does one rollback?
> (7) Shoud sorting be as time consuming as it is currently especially with
> the interactive merging of text? 
> 
> I can speak from experience about suffering from problems.  For instance
> today, despite sorting files as carefully as I could, gdm won't load
> anymore and shows no error messages since gdm files were overwritten
> (luckily I use xdm) and also fonts in gnome related applications are now
> huge and different because font locations were changed.  Now, I did look
> at the content of these files before I replaced the older versions but how
> is one to know beforehand what is going to cause issues? 
> 
> I am not referring to specific errors here but discussing the
> functionality of this feature.  Does this really have to be as much of an
> effort and annoyance as it is now and must one lose out on the benefits of
> new files simply because they do not dare overwrite the older files?  I
> would hate for something like this to be a drawback of an otherwise
> automated and applaudable OS. 
> 
> I hope I have been clear in expressing myself and I don't think for a
> minute that I'm alone in this issue.  Hence, I would very much like to
> hear comments and suggestions whatever they may be from users and
> developers alike. 
> 
> Best wishes.
> -- 
> Dhruba Bandopadhyay | dhruba@codewordt.co.uk | ICQ 31628525
> Gentoo Linux 1.4rc1 | Vanilla Sources 2.4.20 | Enlightenment 16.5 
> 
>  
> 
> --
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list 
> 
 

--
gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]