When updating files in /etc, I'd like to know what the system defaults are or were, in case the default changes. For example, in /etc/group, we have the following: sys::3:root,bin,adm,lp sshd:x:22: After a recent world update, I'm presented with the following changes to /etc/group: sys::3:root,bin,adm sshd::22: Were the former two old system defaults, while the latter two new system defaults? Or were the former two changes of my own, and the latter two system defaults? It's hard to know what changes I've made to /etc/group when installing some packages may make those changes without my knowing. So it's possible in this situation that I may mess things up by accidentally wiping out my changes, or by not accepting the new defaults. I'd suggest a comment for each line in /etc/group, indicating the default value for the following line (and possibly a description.) For example (/etc/group): # the following is for the ssh daemon, default sshd::22: sshd::22: Perhaps something more or less detailed. I wouldn't really know enough to say. After an update, the comment could reflect a change in the default, such as (/etc/._cfg0000_group): # old default sshd:x:22:, new default sshd::22: sshd::22: It may also be nice for all package maintainers to keep some sort of documentation on any changes their packages make to critical system files. Maybe also in the form of a comment in said affected files: # change made on 2002-08-26 by package X, for reason Y foo My last suggestion may be a little too much. If you've got something that doesn't match a new or old default (as per my first suggestion), then you generally know either you or a package made the change, and you should probably keep the change rather than revert to a default. -- Duke.
Read the ChangeLog ?
use etc-update to merge interactive your config files included in app-admin/gentoolkit
That's what I was using when I came up with this idea. etc-update doesn't point out any defaults, new or old. I came across a few entries in my group file, and was thinking "Do I merge this change or not? Dang, was that a default? I didn't make these changes."
Ok, lets say you have file /etc/foo. Now, when you update baselayout (or any other package for that matter) and you get a file /etc/._cfg0000_foo, wont you say the most recent system defaults for that specific package will be contained in /etc/._cfg0000_foo ? You should of course use some judgement, because moving say /etc/._cfg0000_shadow over /etc/shadow will not be very bright =)
Like I said, Changes are documented in the ChangeLog.
