Etc-update

Warning
dispatch-conf is the recommended way to manage configuration file changes. Warning: etc-update clobbers protected configuration files without making any backups, whereas dispatch-conf supports reverting changes to protected configuration files.

etc-update is an older and largely unmaintained utility. It is not as simple to use as dispatch-conf, nor as fully featured.

It is imperative to understand that etc-update deletes the previous version of protected configuration files forever, no history of changes is retained.

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etc-update is a tool to merge configuration files with an interactive merging setup and can also auto-merge trivial changes.

root #etc-update --help

etc-update: Handle configuration file updates

Usage: etc-update [options] [paths to scan]

If no paths are specified, then ${CONFIG_PROTECT} will be used.

Options:
  -d, --debug    Enable shell debugging
  -h, --help     Show help and run away
  -p, --preen    Automerge trivial changes only and quit
  -q, --quiet    Show only essential output
  -v, --verbose  Show settings and such along the way
  -V, --version  Show version and trundle away

  --automode <mode>
             -3 to auto merge all files
             -5 to auto-merge AND not use 'mv -i'
             -7 to discard all updates
             -9 to discard all updates AND not use 'rm -i'

After merging the straightforward changes, a list of protected files will be provided that have an update waiting. At the bottom the possible options are shown:

CODE Options presented by etc-update

Please select a file to edit by entering the corresponding number.
              (-1 to exit) (-3 to auto merge all remaining files)
                           (-5 to auto-merge AND not use 'mv -i'):

When entering -1, etc-update will exit and discontinue any other changes. With -3 or -5, all listed configuration files will be overwritten with the newer versions. It is therefore very important to first select the configuration files that should not be automatically updated. This is simply a matter of entering the number listed to the left of that configuration file.

As an example, we select the configuration file /etc/pear.conf:

CODE Updating a specific configuration file

Beginning of differences between /etc/pear.conf and /etc/._cfg0000_pear.conf
[...]
End of differences between /etc/pear.conf and /etc/._cfg0000_pear.conf
1) Replace original with update
2) Delete update, keeping original as is
3) Interactively merge original with update
4) Show differences again

The differences between the two files are shown. If the updated configuration file can be used without problems, enter 1. If the updated configuration file isn't necessary, or doesn't provide any new or useful information, enter 2. If the current configuration file has to be interactively updated, enter 3.

There is no point in further elaborating the interactive merging here. For completeness sake, we will list the possible commands that can be used while interactively merging the two files. Users are greeted with two lines (the original one, and the proposed new one) and a prompt at which the user can enter one of the following commands:

CODE Commands available for the interactive merging

ed:     Edit then use both versions, each decorated with a header.
eb:     Edit then use both versions.
el:     Edit then use the left version.
er:     Edit then use the right version.
e:      Edit a new version.
l:      Use the left version.
r:      Use the right version.
s:      Silently include common lines.
v:      Verbosely include common lines.
q:      Quit.

After having finished updating the important configuration files, users can then automatically update all the other configuration files. etc-update will exit if it doesn't find any more updateable configuration files.

Etc-update

See also