Preserving config across updates
There are a few things which seem to reset themselves to defaults when
upgraded without offering an option to keep the old config:
- Eterm resets all of its 'system' (i.e., the ones in
/usr/share/Eterm/themes) themes back to the default settings on every
upgrade, requiring me to keep backed-up copies of my themes and replace the
default ones with them after each upgrade.
- My default window manager _usually_ stays at WindowMaker but, in my last
dist-upgrade, the default became fvwm. Looking in
/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives, I discovered that wmaker's priority had been
reset from 5000 (which I had manually set it to in
/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/x-window-manager, as the man page for
update-alternatives doesn't mention any way to change a package's priority
without removing and readding it) back to 50 and, since fvwm has the same
priority btu just happens to be listed first, it became the 'best' window
manager.
The problems with Eterm are arguably my fault, since I chose to replace the
system themes instead of customizing them within my user home directories.
As for the window manager, though, I thought the entire purpose of the
alternatives system was that you could set the priorities according to your
preferences and then not have to worry about your defaults being changed by
new package installations or upgrades.
Also, many other packages will check to see whether you've modified your
config files and give you the option to keep the current version, replace it
with the maintainer's new version, or resolve the differences manually.
Neither of these cases offer this choice; they just blow away the existing
file without bothering to look at it first.
How can I prevent apt/dpkg from blindly overwriting these (and, potentially,
other) configurations in the future? And should these cases be reported as
official bugs against the involved packages? (If so, what would be the
appropriate package for the window manager setting? wmaker? dpkg?)
--
"Two words: Windows survives." - Craig Mundie, Microsoft senior strategist
"So does syphillis. Good thing we have penicillin." - Matthew Alton
Geek Code 3.1: GCS d? s+: a- C++ UL++$ P++>+++ L+++>++++ E- W--(++) N+ o+
!K w---$ O M- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t 5++ X+ R++ tv b+ DI++++ D G e* h+ r++ y+
Reply to: