Editing protected config files after a long update can be tedious and computers were supposed to save us from this kind of drugery 8-) (My first request is covered in bug 4709 - if a config file has not been edited by the user, then it should be overwritten. This still doesn't work as of Portage 2.0.45.) My main request is for a CVS-like merge facility, so that Portage deals with edited files in CONFIG_PROTECT directories in the same way as cvs update. Portage would have to keep a mirror of all files that were put in the protected config directories. Then, on updating a config file, it would diff the existing file with the mirrored (original) file, and apply the differences to the new config file. Where the differences raised a conflict, I suppose it should put in the two versions a la CVS, separated by <<<<<<< ======== >>>>>>> markers (like CVS), and then save the file as ._cfg????_* and alert the user as at present. I think this would largely remove the need to maintain configuration files manually, and in those cases where conficts occur it would be much easier to see what has changed and fix the file accordingly. Thanks.
(Re: bug 4709 - I think the Freenet example given is just an anomoly and probably updating of uncustomised config files *does* work usually. My apologies. Scratch the 2nd paragraph of the request, but leave the rest.)
Ok, I'm being annoying 8-) I just did an emerge system and ended up with 44 config files that needed attention. The thing is, almost all of them were unmodified from the originals. So put that 2nd paragraph back in...
*** Bug 25478 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Created attachment 15301 [details, diff] Patch to add optional CONFIG_PROTECT override on unedited files Attaching the patch as I would solve this problem in a optional fashion from my duplicate bug #25478. Patch also available at: http://drumlin.thehutt.org/portage/portage.py-diff
*** Bug 26620 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 7737 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
If you want RCCS features then look at dispatch-conf and the related patches on bugs.gentoo.org.
*** Bug 47643 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
i'm interested in this feature. i want portage to auto merge config files it upgrades that i didn't touch. (most people are going to touch in some way the http.conf). i think the cvs idea is very slick, better than md5's. i'd hate to have CVS folders all over my etc tree though. i wonder if they could be .cvs folders? anyway cvs, or md5, portage shouldn't bother me with files i didn't touch. it's a pain to update after an upgrade. and very error prone. i have to remember if i changed that file ages ago when i installed the software or used it along the way.
Putting a hold on feature requests for portage as they are drowning out the bugs. Most of these features should be available in the next major version of portage. But for the time being, they are just drowning out the major bugs and delaying the next version's progress. Any bugs that contain patches and any bugs for etc-update or dispatch-conf can be reopened. Sorry, I'm just not good enough with bugzilla. ;)
*** Bug 101520 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 117780 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***