make upgrade overwrites /etc/mail/mailer.conf

[Chris Pressey]

On Wed, 9 Feb 2005 11:10:23 -0800 (PST)
Matthew Dillon <dillon at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>     I think the goal ought to be a layout that does not require
>     merging to update a system.  Mergemaster may be fine for a UNIX
>     expert, but it's hell for a general user.

Just some idle thoughts:

I don't think it's possible to avoid merging, at least conceptually:
even /etc/foo and /etc/defaults/foo is a kind of merge (one that happens
at lookup time.)  I agree that the goal should include shielding the
user from the complexity of the merging process.

What do people think about using CVS for this?

Pros:

- Standard tool with general applicability, in the base system.
- Designed for handling merges and any conflicts that arise.
- The admin can specify which files not to touch, using .cvsignore.
- The admin can make unobtrusive comments on their changes, in the log.
- The admin can roll back their configuration to any previous point.
- The admin can keep the master configuration repo on another machine.

Cons:

- Heavyweight solution; it's overkill.
- It's yet another component to administrate; more hassle.
- Its method of handling conflicts is less than optimal.
- The admin can't use its features from single-user mode.

-Chris