[solved] After update- etc-update and/or dispatch-conf

Message

pottzie · Post by **pottzie** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 3:24 pm

I've finished an update and see that 'there are several files that need to be updated" in "etc." I also see the ominous warning on the Gentoo Home page about the world coming to an end if I don't run dispatch-conf or etc-update. When I try to use them, I'm flummoxed by what I see. To make matters worse, I know I've used etc-update before..didn't understand it, necessarily, but got it to work or at least not keep popping up every time bash closed out. How do I get the "stuff" bash wants to work?

the_mgt · Post by **the_mgt** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:31 pm

Use dispatch-conf, it is easier. But read up on it, this will happen a lot when you use gentoo. Almost every time you update a lot of packages.

cach0rr0 · Post by **cach0rr0** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:07 pm

use dispatch-conf
unless it's asking you about a config file you know you've manually edited in the past, accept the newer copy
if it's asking about files you know you've edited before, dispatch-conf lets you save a copy of the old configuration file, and use the new one, so that if you later decide some of your custom changes are still needed in the new file, you can go make the change

the idea is that installing a new package doesnt blow away a ton of custom work you've done by replacing your custom config file with the default one that ships with the package

pottzie · Post by **pottzie** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:59 pm

I'm Ok with accepting the new file-I just can't figure out how to do that!

-- /etc/etc-update.conf 2011-06-13 18:03:43.000000000 -0400
+++ /etc/._cfg0000_etc-update.conf 2011-06-11 23:44:57.000000000 -0400
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
# note that you need dev-util/dialog installed
mode="0"

+# Whether to clear the term prior to each display
+#clear_term="yes"
+clear_term="no"
+
# Whether trivial/comment changes should be automerged
eu_automerge="yes"

>> (1 of 11) -- /etc/etc-update.conf
>> q quit, h help, n next, e edit-new, z zap-new, u use-new
m merge, t toggle-merge, l look-merge:

> # Whether to clear the term prior to each display
> #clear_term="yes"
> clear_term="no"
>
%
ed: Edit then use both versions, each decorated with a header.
eb: Edit then use both versions.
el or e1: Edit then use the left version.
er or e2: Edit then use the right version.
e: Discard both versions then edit a new one.
l or 1: Use the left version.
r or 2: Use the right version.
s: Silently include common lines.
v: Verbosely include common lines.
q: Quit.
%e1

>> (1 of 11) -- /etc/etc-update.conf
>> q quit, h help, n next, e edit-new, z zap-new, u use-new
m merge, t toggle-merge, l look-merge:

Post by **John R. Graham** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:03 pm

Hit "u" for use-new, as recommended by the output.

Might also want to look at the dispatch-conf man page, where a lot of this arcana is explained in more detail.

- John

davidm · Post by **davidm** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:10 pm

You definitely should read up on the man page and other documentation to learn how to use dispatch-conf. Once you understand it, it's actually pretty painless.

These two pages may be helpful:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/h ... t=3&chap=4
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Dispatch-conf

pottzie · Post by **pottzie** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:30 am

Awright, got it. And thanks, it was painless as promised.

Thanks all.

Trog Dog · Post by **Trog Dog** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:29 pm

I can use etc-update and have done from the start, dispatch-conf just confuses me though, maybe its time to give it another try. etc-update is easy to understand though, the options are there sort of self explanatory - keep the old copy, keep the new copy or interactively merge both - and with that it's just a matter of saying i want the left screen (old copy) or right screen (new copy)

the_mgt · Post by **the_mgt** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:14 pm

Trog Dog wrote:I can use etc-update and have done from the start, dispatch-conf just confuses me though, maybe its time to give it another try. etc-update is easy to understand though, the options are there sort of self explanatory - keep the old copy, keep the new copy or interactively merge both - and with that it's just a matter of saying i want the left screen (old copy) or right screen (new copy)

While etc-update is doing a good job, I find that dispatch-conf handles configs with lots of manual changes better and merges trivial stuff automatically. But some years ago, it was indeed not an option for me, too. Recently tried it again and prefer it now.

ppurka recently mentioned "cfg-upfate" as a third alternative, but I haven't tried it yet.