Keeping a System Update Log
 

Hey all,

I've been a gentoo user for a few years now so I'm fairly decent with linux. Generally during the summer months I am pretty active with linux (using it as my desktop) but when I go back to school, I switch back to my windows computer and using my linux computer mainly for a file server. The problem is, during the times of no use (could be weeks to months), I forget what I have updated, installed, or done to the system in general.

So, my question is, does anyone have any good strategies/methods/website references to keeping a good system log? This includes things such as updating software/kernel, what has been changed in the kernel, if problems show up what was done to correct it, etc. I know I could come up with my own system, but I'm just looking for some advice from people that already have one in place and works for them. Thanks for your time!

syntac

Not exactly sure what you are asking for ...

The /var/log/emerge log will give you history.

As for kernel changes ... there is always looking at the kernel change logs ... www.kernel.org

i copy all system_update packages that i install in a folder...

I was thinking more along the lines of a changelog. Such as:

I know I could do something like that, but I was wondering if anyone here has a system that they use to do it. By that I mean maybe you have a shell script that you can type:

and it'll keep a log file that is formatted for easy reading, or a web based system, etc.

I use a hardbound lab notebook. Yep, plain 'ole handwritten stuff! I write down the things I've done, the problems encountered, research done to troubleshoot/fix, and the solution. When I was first moving to Linux I did this religously. Now, I'm not so good at keeping every little thing documented. Only the big projects (or big problems) are written down these days.

You might want to ask this in the Gentoo Forum instead of this forum.

Not to put this forum down ... but I think you will have a better chance there -> http://forums.gentoo.org/