Mailing List Archive

On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:26 pm, R S Gill wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.

No, you didnt pay attention, and YOU messed your system up. I have been
running etc-update for a long time and nothing like thats happened.

> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> nothing out of the install handbook.

You did a -5.. You replaced all your configs. You dont need to reinstall, you
did that already.. Just configure.. This isnt windows.

> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
> running emerge -u world?

Yes, your suppose to look at whats changed, and apply.

> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
> files in /etc needed to be updated.

60? My god man, how longs it been?

Jeff

--
=======================================================================
Jabber: tradergt@(smelser.org|jabber.org)
Quote: Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts.
=======================================================================

> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> nothing out of the install handbook.
WHOA!

Don't do a reinstall. If you haven't started yet, then don't. You can
recover from that, especially if it's a recent install.

The files you need to concern yourself with are the ones that you modified
during the install.

Come into #gentoo on FreeNode and ask for help there.

Cheers,

Aaron Kulbe
a.k.a. SuperLag on FreeNode

Well I don't know how to reconfigure the thing.

The new config files don't look anything at all like the examples in the
install handbook. Specifically, gdm doesn't start on boot anymore and I
no longer have an internet connection.

I installed most of my stuff off the packages cd and once I had
everything i wanted I decided to do the emerge -u world

Gill

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them" -- FDR


"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" -- George Orwell



Jeff Smelser wrote:

>On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:26 pm, R S Gill wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>>
>>
>
>No, you didnt pay attention, and YOU messed your system up. I have been
>running etc-update for a long time and nothing like thats happened.
>
>
>
>>I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
>>nothing out of the install handbook.
>>
>>
>
>You did a -5.. You replaced all your configs. You dont need to reinstall, you
>did that already.. Just configure.. This isnt windows.
>
>
>
>>My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
>>running emerge -u world?
>>
>>
>
>Yes, your suppose to look at whats changed, and apply.
>
>
>
>>The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
>>files in /etc needed to be updated.
>>
>>
>
>60? My god man, how longs it been?
>
>Jeff
>
>
>

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 21:29:46 -0500, Jeff Smelser <tradergt@smelser.org> wrote:
> On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:26 pm, R S Gill wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>
> No, you didnt pay attention, and YOU messed your system up. I have been
> running etc-update for a long time and nothing like thats happened.
Calm down.. he's already claim fault for this.

>
> > I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> > nothing out of the install handbook.
>
> You did a -5.. You replaced all your configs. You dont need to reinstall, you
> did that already.. Just configure.. This isnt windows.

I run it every time yes, Then I overwrite files that I haven't
personally edited and whats left (stuff that I have edited) I normally
delete. This last stage is probably not the best course of action..
but I find that there isn't any tool out there yet that allowed me to
compare and easily line by line replace..

>
> 60? My god man, how longs it been?
Its possible he's used an old live CD version and this is his first update....

--
Nothing dies faster than a new idea in a closed mind.

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Yes, it is necessary. However, you can't just blindly press the -5 key.
Look at what it wants to update and if you have something that you don't
want to mess with tell etc-update to skip it.


On Tue, 28 Sep 2004, R S
Gill wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>
> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like nothing
> out of the install handbook.
>
> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after running
> emerge -u world?
>
> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
> files in /etc needed to be updated.
>
> Gill
>
>

--
Brett I. Holcomb

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

R S Gill wrote, On 29.09.2004 04:26:
> Hi,
>
> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>
> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> nothing out of the install handbook.
>
> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
> running emerge -u world?
Yes it is.
Sometimes the devs change the underlying system.
If you don´t activate those settings you probably will get trouble.

>
> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
> files in /etc needed to be updated.
>
> Gill
>

A master rule in usinf etc-update is:
Everything you did _not_ change by yourself, is safe to upgrade.
The files where you did your own settings you will know how to migrate
the files.
Use the new one and redo your settings in there, or throw it away.

Once I messed up my system also with etc-update.
Now I just spend the extra time on updating those files accordingly.

If you are knowing which packages are affected you should remerge them
with:

emerge --noconfmem --oneshot

bye Thilo


--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

I tried to tell it not to update my xorg.conf files but then it kept
asking me if I wanted to overwrite xor.conf in never ending loop. I
think that was when I hit -5 or -3. Ican't remember now.

Gill

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them" -- FDR


"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" -- George Orwell



Brett I. Holcomb wrote:

> Yes, it is necessary. However, you can't just blindly press the -5
> key. Look at what it wants to update and if you have something that
> you don't want to mess with tell etc-update to skip it.
>
>
> On Tue, 28 Sep 2004, R S Gill wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>>
>> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
>> nothing out of the install handbook.
>>
>> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
>> running emerge -u world?
>>
>> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60
>> config files in /etc needed to be updated.
>>
>> Gill
>>
>>
>

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:39 pm, R S Gill wrote:
> Well I don't know how to reconfigure the thing.

Hmm..

> The new config files don't look anything at all like the examples in the
> install handbook. Specifically, gdm doesn't start on boot anymore and I
> no longer have an internet connection.

rc.cnf was changed.. edit it and put gdm back in there.. edit /etc/cond.d/net
gets your network back.

> I installed most of my stuff off the packages cd and once I had
> everything i wanted I decided to do the emerge -u world

Hmm.. Ok.. well, that explains it..


--
=======================================================================
Jabber: tradergt@(smelser.org|jabber.org)
Quote: I'm not even going to ignore that.
=======================================================================

On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 21:39:12 -0500, R S Gill <rsgill@purdue.edu> wrote:
> Well I don't know how to reconfigure the thing.
The same way the book says to.. use nano or if your in text mode a lot.. vi

>
> The new config files don't look anything at all like the examples in the
> install handbook. Specifically, gdm doesn't start on boot anymore and I
> no longer have an internet connection.
OK.. I'd say that your xfree.config has been re-written so the steps
you followed in the hand book for configuring that should suffice for
fixing this.. keep asking Q's please don't re-install.. for your sake.
The net connection sounds like the "net" file has been re-written...
once again use the steps in the handbook that cover this. yes some of
the lines will be different but it shouldn't be THAT different... and
if you apply a little bit of logic and grey matter to it you should be
able to figure it out.
Your kernel should be fine and if its booting then you should be able
to leave alone the grub stuff, the rest of the system is basically
"brand new" like a brand new install.. so follow only the relevant
bits of the install handbook and you will learn a LOT and save
yourself a re-install.

I too did something this silly a long time ago.. its well worth the
effort to undo it.
(oh and when you have fixed it make copies of your xfree config files etc)



--
Nothing dies faster than a new idea in a closed mind.

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Thilo Six wrote, On 29.09.2004 04:42:

> If you are knowing which packages are affected you should remerge them
> with:
>
> emerge --noconfmem --oneshot

OK forget about this. It´s nonsens.
Update your config files as already mentioned.
Use the handbook and the help on IRC.

Good luck man.

bye Thilo


--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

I tried to follow the new format for getting my internet back up. I
think it was ifup_eth1=("dhcp") but that didn't work. This change was in
/etc/conf.d/net.
I also tried to edit /init.d/xdm to get gdm back up but that file looks
like complete Greek to me.

The only files I changed during the install were the /etc/conf.d/net to
make eth1 my default adapter, and /etc/init.d/xdm to start gdm and set
my session as gnome-session. I also editied xorg.conf to comment out dri
and change the driver to nvidia. Those were the only config files that I
changed.

The main thing that got updated when I did emerge -u world was the
xorg-x11 since I had installed it using GRPs and the basic compilers etc
since I used a stage3 tarball to install.

Gill

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them" -- FDR


"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" -- George Orwell



Jeff Smelser wrote:

>On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:39 pm, R S Gill wrote:
>
>
>>Well I don't know how to reconfigure the thing.
>>
>>
>
>Hmm..
>
>
>
>>The new config files don't look anything at all like the examples in the
>>install handbook. Specifically, gdm doesn't start on boot anymore and I
>>no longer have an internet connection.
>>
>>
>
>rc.cnf was changed.. edit it and put gdm back in there.. edit /etc/cond.d/net
>gets your network back.
>
>
>
>>I installed most of my stuff off the packages cd and once I had
>>everything i wanted I decided to do the emerge -u world
>>
>>
>
>Hmm.. Ok.. well, that explains it..
>
>
>
>

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:52 pm, R S Gill wrote:
> I tried to follow the new format for getting my internet back up. I
> think it was ifup_eth1=("dhcp") but that didn't work. This change was in
> /etc/conf.d/net.
> I also tried to edit /init.d/xdm to get gdm back up but that file looks
> like complete Greek to me.

Because your not suppose to edit that. rc.conf sets the gdm portion.. The
handbook is no different on this.

and its: iface_eth1="dhcp"

there is no NEW format, its been the same.

--
=======================================================================
Jabber: tradergt@(smelser.org|jabber.org)
Quote: A C compiler? You call THAT a C compiler?
=======================================================================

Thanks for clearing that up. I saw some commented out lines that made it
seem like there was a new format. Thanks for pointing me in the right
direction. I'll try and fix this when I get home.

Gill

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them" -- FDR


"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" -- George Orwell



Jeff Smelser wrote:

>On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:52 pm, R S Gill wrote:
>
>
>>I tried to follow the new format for getting my internet back up. I
>>think it was ifup_eth1=("dhcp") but that didn't work. This change was in
>>/etc/conf.d/net.
>>I also tried to edit /init.d/xdm to get gdm back up but that file looks
>>like complete Greek to me.
>>
>>
>
>Because your not suppose to edit that. rc.conf sets the gdm portion.. The
>handbook is no different on this.
>
>and its: iface_eth1="dhcp"
>
>there is no NEW format, its been the same.
>
>
>

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

You could try to use dispatch-conf for future updates. It mantains a log
of every change it makes to your config files.

Em Ter, 2004-09-28 às 23:26, R S Gill escreveu:
> Hi,
>
> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>
> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> nothing out of the install handbook.
>
> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
> running emerge -u world?
>
> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
> files in /etc needed to be updated.
>
> Gill

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 10:39:29 +0800, Senectus . wrote:

> > You did a -5.. You replaced all your configs. You dont need to
> > reinstall, you did that already.. Just configure.. This isnt
> > windows.
>
> I run it every time yes, Then I overwrite files that I haven't
> personally edited and whats left (stuff that I have edited) I normally
> delete. This last stage is probably not the best course of action..
> but I find that there isn't any tool out there yet that allowed me to
> compare and easily line by line replace..

emerge meld and put

diff_command="meld %file1 %file2"
using_editor=1

in /etc/etc-update.conf


--
Neil Bothwick

"Bother," said Pooh, when he found Tigger stoned on his hash

Jeff Smelser wrote:
> On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:52 pm, R S Gill wrote:
>
>>I tried to follow the new format for getting my internet back up. I
>>think it was ifup_eth1=("dhcp") but that didn't work. This change was in
>>/etc/conf.d/net.
>>I also tried to edit /init.d/xdm to get gdm back up but that file looks
>>like complete Greek to me.
>
>
> Because your not suppose to edit that. rc.conf sets the gdm portion.. The
> handbook is no different on this.
>
> and its: iface_eth1="dhcp"
>
> there is no NEW format, its been the same.
>

actually there is a NEW format.

ipaddr_eth0=( "dhcp" ) (my fav) OR
ifconfig_eth0=( "dhcp" ) OR
iface_eth0="dhcp" (deprecated)
--

Adi

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

On Tue September 28 2004 10:26 pm, R S Gill wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>
> I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
> nothing out of the install handbook.
>
> My questions is, is it absolutely necessary to run etc-update after
> running emerge -u world?
>
> The only reason I didn an etc-update was coz portage said that 60 config
> files in /etc needed to be updated.
>
> Gill

Yes- you need to keep the config files current, and this is a good reason to
always back up /etc just before you run etc-update. Then you can always
revert to a previous file (or find out what settings you have edited need to
be restored in a particular new version of a file).

Rule of thumb is you can safely update any file you know you HAVEN'T edited
yourself. When etc-update wants to update things like fstab, make.conf,
rc.conf, or anything having to do with your internet settings, you need to be
very careful, as you will want to retain your personal settings, and just add
the new features in the new version (if any). In any case, don't just blindly
run etc-update for all files listed. At the very least, never "update" fstab,
or you might not be able to boot, and will need to use a boot/rescue disk to
redo your fstab. I can think of no good reason why etc-update will
ocassionally want to "update fstab. In the case of make.conf or rc.conf, new
features are sometimes added, so that makes sense- but your personal
settings will need to be retained.

Robert Crawford

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Senectus . wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 21:29:46 -0500, Jeff Smelser <tradergt@smelser.org> wrote:
>
>>On Tuesday 28 September 2004 09:26 pm, R S Gill wrote:
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>I just totally messed my system up by running etc-update.
>>
>>>I plan on doing a re-install since all the new config files look like
>>>nothing out of the install handbook.
>>
>>You did a -5.. You replaced all your configs. You dont need to reinstall, you
>>did that already.. Just configure.. This isnt windows.
>
>
> I run it every time yes, Then I overwrite files that I haven't
> personally edited and whats left (stuff that I have edited) I normally
> delete. This last stage is probably not the best course of action..
> but I find that there isn't any tool out there yet that allowed me to
> compare and easily line by line replace..

You are not the only one who's said this, but it's making me wonder if
no one is aware that etc-update has a diff option (#3-- "show
differences between original and update", after you've selected which
file you want to deal with), and that the diff program can be set to any
diff program you might happen to like (diff is the default, but I've
used meld in the past and currently have it set to use colordiff) in
/etc/etc-update.conf. The config file even explains how to use vi (or
vim, I forget) or another editor to diff the files.

Once you choose to diff the files when running etc-update, you are then
presented with the diff, and after you've looked at it and closed it you
(if using a console diff) have the option to interactively merge them
line by line (naturally you can just go ahead and do this via the GUI
diff program when the diff is displayed, if you prefer to use a GUI diff
program).

I usually use the diff option, because I want to retain any personal
settings, but change the headers (so I know I've updated the file), as
well as any improved comments or scriptlets that may be included. I
really don't like just throwing away the update just because two lines
are commented that I had uncommented in my previous config, when other
things that might really be needed might have been changed as well.

Using the diff option also lets me see immediately if its a file I've
edited or not, so (if not), I can just accept the update and replace.

I've never used -5 or -3; sometimes, in a rush, I'll use -1, but that
just delays you dealing with the issue (the same update will come up
every time you run etc-update)

It's a bit tedious, but system administration sometimes is. It helps a
lot to know what files are important to look at and not update
automatically (any server config files such as Samba, Apache, mail),
/etc/fstab, anything in /etc/init.d/ , etc, so that you can scan the
list and see if anything looks like a problem before you start.

>
>
>>60? My god man, how longs it been?
>
> Its possible he's used an old live CD version and this is his first update....
>

I don't see it as a matter of time, but as a matter of how many packages
are on the system. If you do an emerge -uaDtv world, you can come up
with quite a lot of new config files. One time I hit over 200.
Fortunately quite a lot of them were trivial (so automatically merged),
and a lot more of them were updated translation files (so I could just
accept them). But I admit it gave me pause when I saw the list ;-) .


Holly

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

It's been brought up before that there are certian files, like fstab,
that can get hammered by the etc-update process and then break the
machine. It's a weak system design that requires people be completely
trained and at peak performance at all times. No doubt there is a bit
of responsibility on both sides. I've lost fstab at least twice in the
last year and had to boot from rescue disks and edit what etc-update
did to them. Today I have a separate unmounted partition where I keep
copies of things I care about. Haven't had to use it, but I know the
storm is coming.

- Mark

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Mark Knecht wrote:
> It's been brought up before that there are certian files, like fstab,
> that can get hammered by the etc-update process and then break the
> machine. It's a weak system design that requires people be completely
> trained and at peak performance at all times.

At all times? I don't feel that I need to be at peak performance until I
hit enter afte typing 'etc-update'. But then again, I don't think that's
unreasonable (that I should be expected to be alert when updating system
config files).

I mean, heck, I have to be alert just to read the options list to know
to type -1/3/5 (should I want to do such a thing), so a little more
alertness to actually scan the list and see what configs are affected,
diff the ones that are important, and merge them interactively is not a
big deal.

I'm not quite getting what people expect etc-update to do in this respect.

Holly

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

> I mean, heck, I have to be alert just to read the options list to know
> to type -1/3/5 (should I want to do such a thing), so a little more
> alertness to actually scan the list and see what configs are affected,
> diff the ones that are important, and merge them interactively is not a
> big deal.

You're an IT person or a programmer probably? You have a clue. I'm a
hardware designer. I don't.

>
> I'm not quite getting what people expect etc-update to do in this respect.
>

Just not do things that totally break the system, or at least keep an
automatic backup of things sto that noobs can be told 'look in
/etc/noob-backup for the file you hosed...'

--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Mark Knecht wrote:
> It's been brought up before that there are certian files, like fstab,
> that can get hammered by the etc-update process and then break the
> machine. It's a weak system design that requires people be completely
> trained and at peak performance at all times. No doubt there is a bit
> of responsibility on both sides. I've lost fstab at least twice in the
> last year and had to boot from rescue disks and edit what etc-update
> did to them. Today I have a separate unmounted partition where I keep
> copies of things I care about. Haven't had to use it, but I know the
> storm is coming.
>
> - Mark
>
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>

Would it be possible to have a cdrw that is a recovery disk, that
would include all of the /etc, /boot and other stuff to complete a
recover, should an adverturous hack, mess up a machine? That way a
portion of the cd could be updated before each schedule upgrade, yet
if things get messed up, recover is a 1.2.3... step process.If not
some other utility to simply recovery? I just usually scp everything
(/etc /boot /home) to another partition on a machine, but, I'm not
certain I've got everything critical (any list anywhere)?

The nature of gentoo, makes it oh so seductive to be aggressive and
adverturous, even when knowing that a major admin_bobo is lurking in
the future....... Now that I'm actually writing code on a gentoo
system, and experimenting with ebuilds, cross compilers etc, I *know*
that a bobo is imminent, I'm only unsure of the chronological details.....


ideas are welcome...

James


--
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 16:16:47 +0200, Holly Bostick wrote:

> I'm not quite getting what people expect etc-update to do in this
> respect.

NEVER updating files like fstab, group and passwd would be a start.

IMO these files shouldn't even be in baselayout, as you never need to
install new versions of them. Alternatively, the baselayout ebuild
should ignore them when run with the -build USE flag. I cannot think of
a single reason for emerge to install a new fstab or passwd after
initial installation.


--
Neil Bothwick

"Open the disk drive door, Hal."

On Wednesday 29 September 2004 09:31 am, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > I mean, heck, I have to be alert just to read the options list to know
> > to type -1/3/5 (should I want to do such a thing), so a little more
> > alertness to actually scan the list and see what configs are affected,
> > diff the ones that are important, and merge them interactively is not a
> > big deal.
>
> You're an IT person or a programmer probably? You have a clue. I'm a
> hardware designer. I don't.

Well, I have seen people with "no clue" get it.. Most people just dont pay
attention and want to get done quickly.. Its really not difficult. They just
see, -5 get done quick.

I would really like to see what people did before gentoo with config files..
People act like this is a new concept or something.

Jeff