[SGVLUG] managing /etc - cvs everything?

[Claude Felizardo]

On 3/12/07, Alan Horn <ahorn at deorth.org> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 12 Mar 2007, Claude Felizardo wrote:
>
> > I'm working on rebuilding my Linux server at home and have just setup
> > rsnapshot to do the backups but was wondering if anyone has used CVS
> > or equiv to track all of the system config files in say /etc?  With
>
> Hi Claude,
>
> On a single box install, anytime I touch a file in /etc I would create an
> RCS directory and put the file under RCS. Indeed this is a pretty
> good practise with config files anywhere.

I don't recall how RCS managed things as I haven't used it by itself
in decades, I'm used to CVS.  Do you have a central RCS directory that
you copy stuff to or do you create one in each subtree as needed which
is what CVS does.  Where do you put the actual repository?

> Anything else is overkill really. This is not really about backups, you
> should still be backing up your box (including those RCS directories).

Oh I do make backups.  I use rsnapshot for  "undo" and diffs.  One
problem is trying to remember what files were tweaked so I can reapply
them to a new install.  Another is when a program (web, gui or
otherwise) rewrites a config file.  I run msec which gives me a daily
report of what config files have changed but not the actual diffs.

> As far as package managers handling changed config files. It tends to Just
> Work, but even if it doesn't, you have the RCS file to go back to.

I assume you mean the package managers handle merging between current
and new files.  I'm wondering if any of them will show you the diffs
between the original and current.  I'll give manual CVS/RCS a try.

> If you're installing large numbers of identical systems then you'll have a
> build server, and the configurations are centrally held behind that using
> CVS. This may be outside the scope of your problem.

Nope, I usually have just one linux server at home, maybe two while
I'm building the replacement.  The desktops at home run windoze most
of the time though they each have a copy of the then current distro
installed.  I do run linux most of the time on my laptop so perhaps a
config server would be convenient but I'm only talking about half a
handful of machines.

thanks,
claude