[gentoo-user] Config file updates and using diff.

[gentoo-user] Config file updates and using diff.

[Dale]

Howdy,

I just finished a large update on my main rig.  I have a lot of config
files to update and some have new entries that are needed but I don't
want to lose the ones I've already set.  Usually, I just pick the new
one and have a saved copy of the old config to put back my settings. 
This is a lot of config files tho.  I been using dispatch-conf for this
but I've never figured out how to use the diff feature and tell it which
parts I want to keep and what I want to update. 

First, I've looked on the wiki and can't find a howto on using the diff
tool.  Is there a guide on there I can't find?  Second, is there a
better way to do this, a very easy way if you will?  Like maybe a GUI
thing where I use the mouse to select.  It would be nice if it is
something I can easily remember how to do given how rare it is I need to
do a diff of the files. 

Thoughts? 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

[gentoo-user] Re: Config file updates and using diff.

[Grant Edwards]

On 2024-06-27, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> I just finished a large update on my main rig.  I have a lot of config
> files to update and some have new entries that are needed but I don't
> want to lose the ones I've already set.  Usually, I just pick the new
> one and have a saved copy of the old config to put back my settings. 
> This is a lot of config files tho.  I been using dispatch-conf for this
> but I've never figured out how to use the diff feature and tell it which
> parts I want to keep and what I want to update. 
>
> First, I've looked on the wiki and can't find a howto on using the diff
> tool.  Is there a guide on there I can't find?  Second, is there a
> better way to do this, a very easy way if you will?  Like maybe a GUI
> thing where I use the mouse to select.  It would be nice if it is
> something I can easily remember how to do given how rare it is I need to
> do a diff of the files. 

I used the "meld" utility for doing visual side-by side diffs and
resolving merges. At one point, I had figured out how to get
etc-udpate to invoke meld for me, but I've lost that setting somehow.

I usually just use etc-udpate, and then individually invoke meld with
the two file paths shown by etc-udpate. I merge the relevent bits of
the new default config file into my existing one using meld, then I
tell etc-udpate to "discard the new file" (or whatever that option
is).

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Config file updates and using diff.

[Dale]

Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2024-06-27, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Howdy,
>>
>> I just finished a large update on my main rig.  I have a lot of config
>> files to update and some have new entries that are needed but I don't
>> want to lose the ones I've already set.  Usually, I just pick the new
>> one and have a saved copy of the old config to put back my settings. 
>> This is a lot of config files tho.  I been using dispatch-conf for this
>> but I've never figured out how to use the diff feature and tell it which
>> parts I want to keep and what I want to update. 
>>
>> First, I've looked on the wiki and can't find a howto on using the diff
>> tool.  Is there a guide on there I can't find?  Second, is there a
>> better way to do this, a very easy way if you will?  Like maybe a GUI
>> thing where I use the mouse to select.  It would be nice if it is
>> something I can easily remember how to do given how rare it is I need to
>> do a diff of the files. 
> I used the "meld" utility for doing visual side-by side diffs and
> resolving merges. At one point, I had figured out how to get
> etc-udpate to invoke meld for me, but I've lost that setting somehow.
>
> I usually just use etc-udpate, and then individually invoke meld with
> the two file paths shown by etc-udpate. I merge the relevent bits of
> the new default config file into my existing one using meld, then I
> tell etc-udpate to "discard the new file" (or whatever that option
> is).
>

I tried several different things, even those outside of emerge like
kdiff3.  I couldn't figure out how to use any of them.  Eventually, I
just hit 'use new' on them all.  Now I'm trying to fix everything it
messed up.  Most everything works except for the bashrc.d stuff.  It
seems things started moving from a single file to a directory with
different files for different things.  I kinda like the idea myself. I
just wish I could get it to work right.  LOL 

Thanks for the suggestion. 

Dale

:-)  :-)