Arch Linux

mssgs

Member

Registered: 2009-08-08

Posts: 1

Automated backup and update of configs after pacman upgrade

First, after upgrade do
#updatedb && locate .pacnew >newconfigs

Then, check entries - read caution below
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Important - remove any entries (e.g., password files) that need careful, individual updating.
But, for bulk updating these scripts are handy.
(p.s., thanks for the replies)
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#vi newconfigs

Make backup directory
#mkdir -p /home/original_configs

To backup original(s)
#for i in $(cat newconfigs |sed 's/.pacnew//'); do cp -v $i /home/original_configs/ ; done

To overwrite original(s) with <file>.pacnew
#for i in $(cat newconfigs); do cp -v $i `echo $i |sed 's/.pacnew//'`; done

You may wish to keep your .pacnew files in their
(1)respective directories, (2)move them all to a central directory, or, (3)delete them

(1) do nothing

(2) choose or make directory to back them up to, say, mkdir -p /home/pacnew_configs,
      then issue this command
     #for i in $(cat newconfigs); do mv -v $i /home/pacnew_configs/; done

(3) #for i in $(cat newconfigs); do rm -v $i; done

Last edited by mssgs (2009-11-13 02:37:24)

foutrelis

Developer

From: Athens, Greece

Registered: 2008-07-28

Posts: 705

Website

Re: Automated backup and update of configs after pacman upgrade

I wouldn't like any kind of automated procedure messing around with my system's configuration files. My preferred way of dealing with .pacnew files is using `diff /foo/bar{,.pacnew}' to get an overview of the changes and then either 1) adding the changes to the original config and deleting the .pacnew file, or 2) introducing my modifications to the .pacnew file and moving it to the location of the original file. I'm quite sure there is a better way to handle configuration changes, but the amount of .pacnew files I've dealt with so far is very limited to warrant investigating other ways.

Your instructions are way too dangerous, in my opinion. Imagine the disaster if you happened to overwrite your /etc/{passwd,shadow} with the one that comes with an update. All user accounts and their passwords would be lost.

jdhore

Member

From: NYC

Registered: 2007-08-01

Posts: 156

Re: Automated backup and update of configs after pacman upgrade

This sort of thing has been proposed many times in the past, and turned down each time. One of the things that pacman IS/DOES is be a package manager that does not screw with your config files. At all. The only time i've seen this happen in nearly 2 years of using Arch was about a week ago with the /dev/vc* -> /dev/tty* because that could seriously bork your system and a news post was made telling people what would happen to their config files. If you'd really like to have automatic pacnew merging/cleaning, use one of the pacdiff tools that are available in pacman-contrib or yaourt or wherever.