Protecting System Configuration Files
What is the preferred method of protecting various selected system configuration files in SUSE 10.1 during package updates from being overwritten? For example, if I want to be sure that /etc/file.xyz is not altered during a package update install session what action should be taken? Further, would such an action allow the newer file.xyz to be placed under a different extention for later review of differences? -- /path/to/Truth
On Friday 01 September 2006 17:48, Mike McQueen wrote:
What is the preferred method of protecting various selected system configuration files in SUSE 10.1 during package updates from being overwritten?
Normally, the rpm package will create a file called /etc/file.xyz.rpmorig or something to that effect. That's not to say that the original file won't be over written, but it seems to be the norm that I've seen. It leaves your file alone (I think) and creates this new one in case there are changes you need to make.
For example, if I want to be sure that /etc/file.xyz is not altered during a package update install session what action should be taken? Further, would such an action allow the newer file.xyz to be placed under a different extention for later review of differences?
If it's something really important, and you want to make sure, copy it to another directory. Before I do something drastic that might kill a program I'm running, I simply copy the original config file to say /tmp/etc . At least that way I've got a copy of the original incase rpm does change it. Mike -- Powered by SuSE 10.0 Kernel 2.6.13 KDE 3.4 Kmail 1.8 For Mondo/Mindi backup support go to http://www.mikenjane.net/~mike 5:53pm up 8:17, 4 users, load average: 2.12, 2.12, 2.06
On Friday 01 September 2006 10:57 am, Mike wrote:
If it's something really important, and you want to make sure, copy it to another directory. Before I do something drastic that might kill a program I'm running, I simply copy the original config file to say /tmp/etc . At least that way I've got a copy of the original incase rpm does change it.
In general, any config file that I play with I keep under revision control, usually with RCS. That way, if it gets inadvertently overwritten (from a package upgrade, my stupidity or whatever else), I can always get back to the any prior rev. :) -Nick -- <<< Why, oh, why, didn't I take the blue pill? >>> /`-_ Nicholas R. LeRoy The Condor Project { }/ http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~nleroy http://www.cs.wisc.edu/condor \ / nleroy@cs.wisc.edu The University of Wisconsin |_*_| 608-265-5761 Department of Computer Sciences
Mike McQueen wrote:
What is the preferred method of protecting various selected system configuration files in SUSE 10.1 during package updates from being overwritten?
That is a property of the RPM package: Files that are marked as configuration files are not overwritten if they have been changed.
For example, if I want to be sure that /etc/file.xyz is not altered during a package update install session what action should be taken? Further, would such an action allow the newer file.xyz to be placed under a different extention for later review of differences?
AFAIK, there is no possibility to mark a file as a configuration file outside the RPM package. You can query a package about its configuration files with rpm -qc -p PACKAGE. HTH, Joachim -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Joachim Schrod Email: jschrod@acm.org Roedermark, Germany
participants (4)
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Joachim Schrod -
Mike -
Mike McQueen -
Nick LeRoy