Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: [RFC][NEW] Utility to find orphaned files

[Angelo Arrifano <miknix@gentoo.org>]

On 03-05-2010 15:34, Peter Hjalmarsson wrote:
> fre 2010-04-30 klockan 18:24 +0200 skrev Enrico Weigelt:
>> * Daniel Pielmeier <billie@gentoo.org> schrieb:
>>
>>> What about searching the complete file system but using an exclude file where
>>> you can put directories and files which should not be searched. It is tedious to
>>> tell every path on the command-line. Also for instance if you specify /lib it
>>> will also search under /lib/modules and I am sure you do not consider all
>>> contents there as unneeded.
>>
>> hmm, perhaps there's some way to assign these files to some package ?
>>  
> 
> Eh, no and it should not be since files in that directory is kernel
> modules, and most of the files there is created by "cd /usr/src/linux &&
> make" or genkernel or something alike and it is supposed to be that way.

Indeed. /lib/firmware is another candidate
> Looking at the contents of that directory is pretty easy to see if a
> directory there should be left alone or removed (as there is just one
> directory per kernel. not any longer running a kernel anymore? remove
> the corresponding dir).

That is dangerous. For example, I always keep the previous 2 kernels
just in case I detect some problem with the latest and I need to quickly
go back.
> It is better to have the script not tuch that directory at all or at
> most point out "the directory contains directories for more kernels then
> the currently running (i.e. there is more then one dir) and it is
> totally THIS big.

Sounds like a plan.
You may want to take a look if you have files from
> older kernels that you do not longer need."
> That would leave up to the user to figure out what kernel modules to
> keep and what kernel to pount. Or you suggest autocleaning of /boot
> and /usr/src/linux-* as well? Dangerous!
> 
> 
> 

I'm seeing that there is enough interest (including me) on such utility.
Since it is difficult to please everyone at start, I'll first open a
project page on sf.net and develop a more powerful PoC that matches my
ideas. There was a lot of good ideas and observations here, so keep them
coming that I'll certainly read them.

When, and only if, the thing grows to a more mature state; I'll try to
open a Gentoo project by the appropriate means.

I'm not very good on free time lately, so I can't promise anything. But,
as long as my interest on it doesn't die I'll slowly keep working on.

Regards,
- Angelo