modifying package config files with another package??

[ben bodley <benb@m2tech.co.nz>]

hello all,


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we are using a debian based linux distribution in a commercial product, 
and maintain our own apt-archive for the embedded systems to upgrade..

the system is comprised of stock-standard debian + site specific mods + 
our packages.. the problem being we dont want to lose our config files 
all the time, and dont want to have to modify/rebuild every standard 
debian package to our site specific config..

i implemented a horriblely ugly hack involving a special package which 
maintains all our site specific mods to standard debian packages.. when 
installed it saves all the old config files, and replaces them with our 
site specific modifications via a few bash scripts.. yeah, yeah.. pretty 
foul way of doing it.. :)

dpkg-divert can divert the config files so they wont be replaced, but it 
doesnt help the fact that the config files have to be 
maintained/changed/upgraded every now and then by us depending on the 
site involved.. we want to do this using "apt" and not some proprietary 
file upgrade scenario..


the real question is: is there a nice way of doing this?? have i missed 
a huge function within Debian?? (probably :)


another question i have.. we need to rapidly create multiple file 
systems.. is there anything like ghost for debian?? just put in a floppy 
and the system will download and configure straight from our archive??


cheers for any help..

ben

ps. please CC.

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