Bug#947915: release-notes: Suggest cleaning up leftover *.dpkg-old etc. config files
Karl O. Pinc wrote:
> Attached is a patch which suggests cleaning up unused config files
> leftover from prior upgrades, the foo.dpkg-old and similar files,
> before starting the new upgrade.
> --- a/en/upgrading.dbk
> +++ b/en/upgrading.dbk
> @@ -301,6 +301,17 @@ $ apt-forktracer | sort
> It is a good idea to <link linkend="obsolete">remove obsolete
> packages</link> from your system before upgrading.
> </para>
> + <para>
> + A previous upgrade can have left unused copies of configuration
I'd recommend may have
> + files; <link linkend="configuration-changes">old versions</link>
> + of configuration files, versions supplied by the package
> + maintainers, etc. Removing leftover files from previous upgrades,
> + before performing another upgrade, can avoid confusion.
The commas in this sentence seem subtly wrong.
> + Find such
> + leftover files with:
> + </para>
> + <screen>
> +# find /etc -name '*.dpkg-*'
> + </screen>
But in fact if you're going to do this sweep (and haven't previously
been in the habit of doing it), doesn't it make more sense to learn it
as something to do *after* every (dist- or package-)upgrade? What
kinds of confusion does it risk if you do it then?
It might fit best in 4.7. "Preparing for the next release".
(Personally I have a cronjob that nags me if it sees any *.dpkg-new,
*.dpkg-old, *.dpkg-save, *.pam-old or *ucf-old files lying about.)
--
JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian
sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
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