saving system 'configuration' details

SaintDanBert · 02-28-2017, 03:21 PM

I know that it is sooooooo easy to simple throw in a USB-stick or other external drive and clone whole file systems. However, I don't want to do that. I hope that folks here can help me sort things out.

I want to save only the configuration details:

for each end-user
for the workstation as a whole

I can name various categories of details that I want, but I have no idea which folder(s) and file(s) contain those details. For example, what do I save to preserve the "desktop environment" settings for an end-user versus the underlying "desktop environment" settings for the whole workstation?

I know that system details are in the /etc folder tree along with the /boot folder tree. I'm sure there are more. I know, too, that much of system "configuration" happens by magic at system startup. For example, X-Windows "configuration" is, and always has been, dark arcane magic.

I know that end-user details are in their respective $HOME folder along with all sorts of other end-user data files that are not "configuration." Many of these are some form of dot-something files or folders.

I know that there are "data files" that can be (and should be) considered "configuration" files. For example, browser bookmarks.

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan

erik2282 · 02-28-2017, 04:52 PM

user profile and desktop settings are in the user's home directory

Code:

erik@mycomputer:~$ pwd
/home/erik

erik@mycomputer:~$ ls -a
.                       .config     .FreeCAD          .gphoto          .kchmviewer   .nixnote.orig        .purple                      Templates           .webex
..                      .dbus       .gconf            .gstreamer-0.10  .kde          .nv                  .recently-used               .themes             wps-office_10.1.0.5672~a21_amd64.deb
1                       Desktop     .gimp-2.8         .gtk-bookmarks   .kde.old      .nvidia-settings-rc  .reportbugrc                 .thumbnails         .Xauthority
.adobe                  .dia        .Ginkgo           .gtkrc-2.0       .kingsoft     opt                  sales-office-equipment.odt   thunderbird         .Xdefaults.old
.ApacheDirectoryStudio  .dillo      .ginkgocadx       .ICEauthority    .latexdraw    .oracle_jre_usage    .sane                        .thunderbird        .Xresources
.atftp_history          .directory  .GinkgoUser       .icedove         .lesshst      ownCloud             .screenleap                  trusted.certs       .xscreensaver
.bash_history           .dmrc       .gksu.lock        .icedove.old     .local        ownCloud (backup)    sip-communicator.properties  .urxvt              .xsession-errors
.bash_logout            Documents   GLC_Player_Cache  .icons           .macromedia   Pictures             software                     .varicad-viewer.en  .xsession-errors.old
.bashrc                 Downloads   .gnome            .inputrc.ol      .mozilla      .pki                 Spark                        .vim
.bricscad               .eclipse    .gnome2           .install4j       .mozilla.old  Printers             .Spark                       .viminfo
.cache                  .flexihub   .gnome2_private   ISO              mozilla.pdf   .profile             .sparkExt.properties         VirtualBox VMs
.cinnamon               free        .gnupg            .java            .nixnote      Public               .ssh                         vm_share

SaintDanBert · 03-01-2017, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erik2282

user profile and desktop settings are in the user's home directory

Code:

erik@mycomputer:~$ pwd
/home/erik

erik@mycomputer:~$ ls -a
...
ooo
...

Does this mean that I need all of the dot-something files and folders? Along with any *.conf, and *rc* files that are in $HOME and not in folder?

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan

ondoho · 03-01-2017, 03:36 PM

yes.
systemwide stuff is usually in /etc.
not sure what you want to achieve, but there's no guarantee that it will work.

szboardstretcher · 03-01-2017, 03:40 PM

"Generally" if you want to save configuration, then you would want

/etc for systemwide configuration
/home for user configuration
/root for root user configuration

Although - once things go wrong and you need to restore a file related to a users configuration - you will be very happy to have had a complete system backup instead. Because sometimes things just get put in non-standard directories.

SaintDanBert · 03-07-2017, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by szboardstretcher

...
sometimes things just get put in non-standard directories.

Don't you just love non-standard standards. Gone are the days when folks built CLI software with a "standard" set of options with both short "-s" and long "--something" command line options; when configuration info went into "somethingrc" or ".somethingrc" or "something.conf" of the $HOME folder. That executables and their parts went into "/usr/local/something".

But I'm whining, er pining,
~~~ 0;-/ Dan

chrism01 · 03-08-2017, 01:05 AM

As per szboardstretcher's warning, get a proper backup - you'll thank us later

@Dan: "pining for the fjords" by any chance ?

SaintDanBert · 03-08-2017, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01

@Dan: "pining for the fjords" by any chance ?

No. I'm partial to the Blue Ridge and Smokies of the Carolinas and Northern Georgia.
Although, "fjord" is another word for "lake" if I remember, and I miss them, too.

Cheers,
~~~ 0;-Dan

ondoho · 03-09-2017, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintDanBert

Don't you just love non-standard standards. ... when configuration info went into "somethingrc" or ".somethingrc" or "something.conf" of the $HOME folder.

there you already gave an example for a non-standard standard that comes from "the old days"...

oh and btw:
pining for the fjords
and
fjords

Habitual · 03-09-2017, 05:19 AM

$HOME/user/
/etc/
/var/www/
/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/*
system.crons
/var/lib/mysql/ or other "dumps" - 1 per db

Code:

cd $HOME
sync
/usr/bin/udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdc1 /media/jj/external  > /dev/null 2>&1
ionice -c 3 rsync -azv  . /media/jj/external/ --delete # --exclude Videos
#EOF

but I usually forget something, but oh, well.
Can't back up everything, or can you?

ondoho said "not sure what you want to achieve" and that hasn't been made clear.

I keep my stuff synchronized on USB,
the system I'm not worried about, as it' only an install away.

I can re-install my LM17.1 in 15m and be back to work work in 20m

"Worstations as a whole" - Keep track of what you install on the system.
Make a List and stick on your coffee pot so you'll find it.

Habitual · 03-09-2017, 10:44 AM

/etc : Host-specific system configuration

Purpose

The /etc hierarchy contains configuration files. A "configuration file" is a local file used to control the operation of a program; it must be static and cannot be an executable binary. [1]

https://www.debian.org/releases/stab...apcs02.html.en

BW-userx · 03-09-2017, 03:06 PM

this copies all of the hidden files and directories

Code:

cp -rv /home/userx/.[^.]* dotfiles/

Code:

userx@slackwhere⚡️~⚡️$ ls -a dotfiles
.              .bashrc         .dmrc          .fvwm           .icewm
..             .bbrun_history  .dropbox       .gimp-2.8       .icons
.ICEauthority  .blackbox       .dropbox-dist  .gkrellm2       .inputrc
.Xauthority    .blackboxrc     .dvdcss        .gtk-bookmarks  .kde
.bash_history  .cache          .esd_auth      .gvfs           .lazarus
.bash_logout   .config         .fluxbox       .hplip          .links
.bash_profile  .dbus           .fonts         .icedockrc      .local