What I would like to see etc-update or its improvement dispatch-conf do is this: When there is a file to be updated, and it has been modified by the user, also download the original of the version that the user modified, and show the differences between that original and the new update, rather than the differences between the user's version and the new update. This may be difficult to do but the benefits would be large. I would be able to quickly see what has changed in the newer configuration file so I'd know quicker whether to update it. Currently, I have to look through the differences and try to figure out which changes were made by me and which are updates. Better yet, when merging, it could make only the changes that were made in the portage tree, keeping user changes intact, without needing user interaction. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. 2. 3.
dispatch-conf can do 3-way diffs. There are also patches in bugs.
I don't understand. How does 3-way differences allow this feature? Wouldn't we still need the original configuration file that the user's file is based on? What does "There are also patches in bugs" mean?
