1 |
Duncan wrote: |
2 |
> Mark Haney posted <43C2D21B.9040303@××××××××××××.org>, excerpted below, |
3 |
> on Mon, 09 Jan 2006 16:14:03 -0500: |
4 |
> |
5 |
> |
6 |
>> What's the best way to update config files? I am a big fan of RH's method |
7 |
>> of dealing with them, and can't stand the way Debian does it, so how do |
8 |
>> the majority of Gentoo users manage their config files? |
9 |
>> |
10 |
> |
11 |
> You have the answer in other posts (etc-update, or dispatch-conf, if you |
12 |
> want to keep an RCS history of config file versions), but the very fact |
13 |
> that you are even asking the question means you haven't read the handbook |
14 |
> very well, and very possibly haven't read other than the install section |
15 |
> at all! |
16 |
> |
17 |
> That's seriously distressing, as it means you are missing a *LOT* |
18 |
> of *VERY* *USEFUL* information, information that will make administration |
19 |
> of your Gentoo system *MUCH* easier! |
20 |
> |
21 |
> Here's the link to the contents page for the Gentoo Handbook, amd64 |
22 |
> version: |
23 |
> |
24 |
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml |
25 |
> |
26 |
> I'd /seriously/ recommend that you go back and read the "Working with |
27 |
> Gentoo" and "Working with Portage" sections. Some chapters you can safely |
28 |
> scan, rather than actually reading them. This is particularly true of the |
29 |
> stuff about ebuild and initscript internals. However, other parts are |
30 |
> critical to a smooth experience as a Gentoo user (== a Gentoo |
31 |
> system sysadmin). |
32 |
> |
33 |
> Gentoo is rightly recognized for having some of the BEST user |
34 |
> documentation out there, in terms of Linux distributions. Why not use |
35 |
> this great resource at your disposal, particularly when it makes your life |
36 |
> as a Gentoo system sysadmin /so/ much easier? |
37 |
> |
38 |
> When you are done there, consider reading the manpages for emerge and |
39 |
> portage at least. |
40 |
> |
41 |
> My favorite hint, covered in the handbook but I'll emphasize it here as |
42 |
> well, is FEATURES=buildpkg, which will give you binary package backups of |
43 |
> everything you merge. This is a big time and a** saver, allowing you to |
44 |
> quickly revert to an older version of a package if you suspect a new one |
45 |
> might be causing issues, then return to the new version if you find it |
46 |
> isn't, all without forcing you to recompile the package in question, since |
47 |
> you have a binary package, created during your original merge, available. |
48 |
> Equally helpful, it's far easier to recover from portage or gcc breakage |
49 |
> if you have binary packages available locally. The buildpkg feature will |
50 |
> require 1-4 gigs of additional space, to store all those binary packages. |
51 |
> A gig will do it, but 4 gigs allows you to keep multiple versions of the |
52 |
> fastest moving packages around, and won't require cleaning out old |
53 |
> versions as often. |
54 |
> |
55 |
> Of course, the answer to your question, how to deal with config file |
56 |
> updates, is covered in the handbook as well. |
57 |
> |
58 |
> |
59 |
You know, personally, I really _dislike_ getting flamed from a post |
60 |
almost a month old. For the record, I _have_ read the documentation. |
61 |
But for those of us who've done this a long time, the documented way |
62 |
isn't always the _best_ way. I asked only to see if there was another |
63 |
possibly better method of handling configuration files. I was not aware |
64 |
of dispatch-conf at the time as I had been using etc-update. |
65 |
|
66 |
I simply do not have time to re-read the documentation every other day |
67 |
to keep up with those types of changes. If I did, I wouldn't have time |
68 |
to do any work. |
69 |
|
70 |
|
71 |
-- |
72 |
Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum |
73 |
|
74 |
Mark Haney |
75 |
Sr. Systems Administrator |
76 |
ERC Broadband |
77 |
(828) 350-2415 |
78 |
|
79 |
-- |
80 |
gentoo-amd64@g.o mailing list |