Re: [gentoo-user] System maintenance procedure?

[Grant]

> I run depclean about once a month after a large update, usually KDE, qt
> or something like that.  I sync and update about twice a week.  I try to
> time mine to hit those important updates to things like KDE or
> something.  I'm actually waiting on KDE 4.9.4 to hit the tree now.  It
> should be there pretty soon, if there is no major problems.
>
> I would set a rough update time schedule. If say you set yours to update
> every week, then keep two maybe three weeks of old packages.  If a
> package can work for a few weeks, survive reboots and a couple updates,
> then odds are it is safe to remove the binaries you built for it.  The
> sources, I usually only keep what I have installed.  Most of the time
> that is enough.  If you have the hard drive space, you can keep them
> like you do the binary package.  If you pick a monthly update time
> frame, then adjust your time frame for old packages.  You may can keep
> less of them depending on how you run your rig.
>
> When you use eclean and friends with no options, it seems to leave a
> pretty good set of binaries behind.  It leaves what is installed plus a
> older version or two.  It's been a while since i really looked into this
> but it seems to have a fairly safe setting when you just run the plain
> command with no options.  When you use the -d option, it leaves only
> what you have installed and gets rid of everything else.  The -d option
> is about the most aggressive option for eclean.
>
> This is just to give you ideas.  This is one of those 'it depends'
> questions.  The technically correct way is to run depclean after each
> full update.  Thing is, I doubt it will hurt anything if you leave them
> on there except for taking up drive space.
>
> Just don't forget to update the configs after each update.  Sometimes
> missing those can lead to a system that won't boot.  It's not very
> likely but they do happen from time to time.
>
> Another thing about my system that may help you, I keep a copy of /etc
> and my world file backed up.  When I reboot, which is not to often, I
> make a new backup of /etc.  Right now, my uptime is almost 75 days.  I
> keep that backup just in case something will only break when rebooting.
> Some config files are only read when booting so until you reboot, you
> don't know you have a problem.  Having a copy of the world file is good
> in case you lose the drive with the OS on it.  You can at least know
> what you need to emerge to get back to where you were.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Dale

Thanks Dale.

- Grant