There are some config files that are specifically site-local and should never be touched by portage. CONFIG_PROTECT stops them being automatically updated now, however in many cases there should not even be an option to modify these files. A classic example is /etc/fstab. This config file contains very site specific information, and portage quite simply should not touch it. Ever. I've noticed a few files that I think should qualify for the ability to flag as site-local and never have portage touch. I'm aware that my list isn't exhaustive, and some people might be happy to have portage touch them, which is why I am suggesting a way of flagging specific files as untouchable by portage. Some other files which I believe should not be touched by portage: in baselayout: /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.4 /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 /etc/services There are certain cases in which even files like /etc/fstab must be touched, eg a major kernel upgrade (2.6 wants a /sys mount, for example) but these can be managed with a ewarn from the package that requires the update. It should *not* be pushed out with baselayout or similar. Conversely, there are files that as a system administrator, I would like to always be overwritten. With CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK I can set this on a per-directory basis, but it would be nice to flag a file as 'never modified'. There are a number of possibilities here: To acheive the first goal, a list of files never to be touched is sufficient. For the second goal, you could again have a list of files always to be updated. Another simple way is storing the MD5 of a config file. When a package is updated, the MD5 of the live file is compared with the value saved with the original package - if they are the same, the config file is updated without asking. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce:
(In reply to comment #0) > A classic example is /etc/fstab. This config file contains very site specific > information, and portage quite simply should not touch it. Ever. baselayout does not install /etc/fstab any more if one already exists. > Some other files which I believe should not be touched by portage: > in baselayout: > /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.4 > /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 Hmm, probably - see the other bug. > /etc/services Don't know what's so critical about this one... Some ebuilds also need to install additional entries there. > There are certain cases in which even files like /etc/fstab must be touched, eg > a major kernel upgrade (2.6 wants a /sys mount, for example) but these can be > managed with a ewarn from the package that requires the update. It should *not* > be pushed out with baselayout or similar. See above. > Conversely, there are files that as a system administrator, I would like to > always be overwritten. With CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK I can set this on a > per-directory basis, but it would be nice to flag a file as 'never modified'. See the other bug. > For the second goal, you could again have a list of files always to be updated. > Another simple way is storing the MD5 of a config file. When a package is > updated, the MD5 of the live file is compared with the value saved with the > original package - if they are the same, the config file is updated without asking. It is already possible to set dispatch-conf to automatically update unmodified files etc., see dispatch-conf.conf. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 14321 ***
