keep old or install new configuration files during slackpkg upgrade-all ?

james2b · 03-02-2009, 01:27 AM

Is it best to keep the old, or overwrite with the new configuration files which are found during a "slackpkg upgrade-all", run in a terminal as root for the newer software packages? First "slackpkg update" is run, and then I run; "slackpkg install-new", and last that upgrade-all command. And here is that tool; http://sourceforge.net/projects/slackpkg/

samac · 03-02-2009, 02:23 AM

It depends if you have modified any of the configuration files. Slackpkg gives you the option to prompt for each file and to look at the differences. This will give you the information you need to make your decision.

samac

james2b · 03-02-2009, 02:52 AM

I did try the prompt option, and then the (D)differences option for the first package. Then I could not enter any more commands in that terminal window since the "user-name#" cursor was not there to type, it just had a small box at the bottom of the terminal, so it was like stuck then ?

samac · 03-02-2009, 03:32 AM

at that point you decide whether to keep or overwrite. I usually keep the old file and merge in any changes by text editor.

samac

tommcd · 03-02-2009, 03:37 AM

To find all the .new config files run:

Code:

find /etc -name "*.new"

To update the .new files run:

Code:

mv /etc/file_name.new /etc/file_name

niels.horn · 03-02-2009, 04:04 AM

Or, if you skipped some .new files (used the option "K"eep), you can let slackpkg search for them again later with

Code:

slackpkg new-config

Michielvw · 03-02-2009, 10:51 AM

Personally I always keep the configs. Those configs that are unchanged between the new and the old packages are merged in principle anyway (see the doinst config() function in most packages).

Other than that, like I said, I keep the configs and as root I run `find /etc/ -name "*.new"' and diff all files by hand and then decide if they need to move over. I have found that colordiff (available at SlackBuilds.org) really makes things easier on my eyes there as well.