Re: How do I trace changes in configuration files?
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Erik Josefsson wrote:
> Den 2019-05-01 kl. 13:29, skrev Dan Purgert:
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>> Erik Josefsson wrote:
>>> I'm trying to learn how to set up my two Teres laptops so that they are
>>> identical.
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> I have tried to document my personal preferences before, but I have
>>> always ended up with unreadable handwritten notes.
>>>
>>> This time I thought I should do it in a more systematic way by somehow
>>> capture the difference between the default install and the result of my
>>> (often irrational) efforts to make my machines look and feel like I want
>>> it to.
>>>
>>> So, is there a way to trace/record/capture changes in all configuration
>>> files?
>>>
>> There are as many as people reading this channel :)
>>
>> Probably the simplest (and, to some extent, most error prone) is to
>> simply make copies, edit only the copies. For example:
>>
>> cp orig.conf orig.conf.$(date +%y-%m-%d_%H%M%S)
>> vi orig.conf
>>
>> and then you'll end up with stuff like
>>
>> orig.conf
>> orig.19-05-01_065356
>> orig.19-05-01_104022
>> (etc)
>>
>> Then just use 'diff' against any two files to see what changed between
>> them.
>
>
> Thanks Dan, I'll start with that method and maybe later I'll try Jonas'
> proposal with etckeeper and git.
>
> But first, in which top level directories could files that change be
> located?
Config files live in /etc (global configs, e.g. for sshd or apache, and
so on), or a user's $HOME directory (personal configs, e.g. your
Thunderbird profile)
> [...]
> For now, I just want to see where (and if) my setup is stored (e.g.
> where does my wifi's SSID and passphrase end up? maybe in more than one
> place?).
Depends on what tool you're using, probably in a config file under /etc.
On a box I have here running Network Manager, it's
/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/${ssid_name}
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