[SOLVED] how to reissue default custom config files to a user account

BW-userx · 10-25-2018, 08:27 AM

new user gets default files added,

Quote:

Using /etc/skel

This tip shows you how to use /etc/skel to ensure that all new users on your system get the same initial settings.

The /etc/skel directory is the directory used by useradd to create the default settings in a new user's home directory.

To change the location of /etc/skel, edit /etc/default/useradd.

Code Listing 1

# useradd defaults file
GROUP=100
HOME=/home
INACTIVE=-1
EXPIRE=
SHELL=/bin/bash
SKEL=/etc/skel

Typically files included in /etc/skel are .rc files for shell initialization, but you could also include a public_html directory, a custom dircolors file, or anything else.

Code Listing 2

% ls -A /etc/skel
.bash_profile .bashrc .maildir .screenrc .tcsh.config

For more information on customizing /etc/skel see man useradd.

From http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20...newsletter.xml

some WM/DT if one deletes their config files logout , login they are then put back as defualt settings.

customizing an install iso where one has custom config files for the dt/wm (mainly openbox) and tint2 and conky.

openbox, (tint2, conky), if config files are deleted they get them back but not the custom ones that a new user gets.

there has to be a way to put them back in on an existing user account if deleted. this is what I am trying to discover and maybe fix for someone else project.

any guidance to what to look at in order to change or add scripts that check for missing files then put the custom ones back in, because they need to be made to supersede the default configs for the actual program.

I am writing this off the cuff, so I might have missed a few details, as always just ask.

scasey · 10-26-2018, 06:53 PM

Are you wanting to do something more than just copy the files again?

Code:

cp /etc/skel/* /home/someuser/

or only copy the files that are missing...something like (pseduocode/syntax may not be correct)

Code:

for FILE in $(ls -1 /etc/skel/
if [[ ! -a /home/someuser/$FILE ]] ;then 
   cp /etc/skel/$FILE /home/someuser/
fi

BW-userx · 10-26-2018, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scasey

Are you wanting to do something more than just copy the files again?

Code:

cp /etc/skel/* /home/someuser/

or only copy the files that are missing...something like (pseduocode/syntax may not be correct)

Code:

for FILE in $(ls -1 /etc/skel/
if [[ ! -a /home/someuser/$FILE ]] ;then 
   cp /etc/skel/$FILE /home/someuser/
fi

thanks, I found that first part, the if part is nice. thanks again!>