From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Apr 5 08:16:49 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7DD1D1065671 for ; Sat, 5 Apr 2008 08:16:49 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: from smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (gate6.infracaninophile.co.uk [IPv6:2001:8b0:151:1::1]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 97E868FC1E for ; Sat, 5 Apr 2008 08:16:48 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: from happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk (localhost [IPv6:::1]) (authenticated bits=0) by smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id m358GhoD009667; Sat, 5 Apr 2008 09:16:43 +0100 (BST) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) X-DKIM: Sendmail DKIM Filter v2.5.2 smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk m358GhoD009667 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=simple/simple; d=infracaninophile.co.uk; s=200708; t=1207383403; bh=9tH+Q97wxizCBq IpONJdf0kvFpiOpUfgjnzHyPnbKJ0=; h=Message-ID:Date:From:MIME-Version: To:CC:Subject:References:In-Reply-To:Content-Type:Cc:Content-Type: Date:From:In-Reply-To:Message-ID:Mime-Version:References:To; z=Mes sage-ID:=20<47F73565.6020502@infracaninophile.co.uk>|Date:=20Sat,=2 005=20Apr=202008=2009:16:37=20+0100|From:=20Matthew=20Seaman=20|Organization:=20Infracaninophile|User -Agent:=20Thunderbird=202.0.0.12=20(X11/20080310)|MIME-Version:=201 .0|To:=20Andy=20Christianson=20|CC:=20fre ebsd-questions@freebsd.org|Subject:=20Re:=20cfg-update=20equivalent ?|References:=20<776B93361B7BEE4FAD9E720FFBC746B6012B9031@34093-EVS 4C2.exchange.rackspace.com>|In-Reply-To:=20<776B93361B7BEE4FAD9E720 FFBC746B6012B9031@34093-EVS4C2.exchange.rackspace.com>|X-Enigmail-V ersion:=200.95.6|Content-Type:=20multipart/signed=3B=20micalg=3Dpgp -sha256=3B=0D=0A=20protocol=3D"application/pgp-signature"=3B=0D=0A= 20boundary=3D"------------enigC38532532C6875C8E8464D3F"; b=Th3Q4oQB f1AdbZP28oxeA8Nerhn7WKnjl/6RJmUaAVgotY3kinz7cyVpWGcu5773rXdKmTLxfwR 3qGbjecD0cuhWMA/e8L9umhrRjxQOs19qxEZXFScm0JWcRkf9eI/k0o6ULTs4Ry3B0o Xb3J+PQEfSAN2le9jZjLO+9oBgz/o= Message-ID: <47F73565.6020502@infracaninophile.co.uk> Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:16:37 +0100 From: Matthew Seaman Organization: Infracaninophile User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.12 (X11/20080310) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Andy Christianson References: <776B93361B7BEE4FAD9E720FFBC746B6012B9031@34093-EVS4C2.exchange.rackspace.com> In-Reply-To: <776B93361B7BEE4FAD9E720FFBC746B6012B9031@34093-EVS4C2.exchange.rackspace.com> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.6 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha256; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="------------enigC38532532C6875C8E8464D3F" X-Greylist: Sender succeeded SMTP AUTH authentication, not delayed by milter-greylist-3.0 (smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk [IPv6:::1]); Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:16:43 +0100 (BST) X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.92.1/6613/Sat Apr 5 05:11:11 2008 on happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.0 required=5.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00,DKIM_SIGNED, DKIM_VERIFIED,NO_RELAYS autolearn=ham version=3.2.4 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.4 (2008-01-01) on happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: cfg-update equivalent? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:16:49 -0000 This is an OpenPGP/MIME signed message (RFC 2440 and 3156) --------------enigC38532532C6875C8E8464D3F Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Andy Christianson wrote: > In Gentoo, there is a program called cfg-update that will help to merge= > new configuration options that come with a new version of software when= > you do a system update from portage. > Does FreeBSD have any equivalent to this that ensures that configuratio= n > files work after updating software with portupgrade? Portage and ports work in vary different ways despite the similarity of outcome. In particular, the ports have the massive advantage of being separated from the base system under FreeBSD. This means that there are great swathes of functionality that can simply be assumed, and need no configuration knobs to deal with. Also, dare I say it, FreeBSD developer= s understand the principles of maintaining constant ABIs and APIs and adhering to POLA rather better than what I've seen of Gentoo. As for maintaining the configuration files used by installed ports, well again, the philosophy is completely different here as well. How a port i= s configured is held to be no business at all of the port and entirely in t= he control of the system administrator. You don't get spoon-fed a pre-packaged configuration. The disadvantage h= ere is that the system administrator has to think about what they are doing -= - so it takes more time and effort to make things work right. Of course, t= he advantage here is that the system administrator has to think about what t= hey are doing -- so the system is going to be made to work right straight fro= m the beginning and the people maintaining it will have learned a lot more = about keeping it working right. On installation, ports can suggest to the adminstrator what to do next; t= hey cannot prescribe such. Which means that if you want to set things up in a= way that the port maintainer, or indeed the software author, had never contem= plated even in their wildest dreams, well so you can. And no necessity to unpic= k someone else's idea of the right way to do it (which would inevitably be reimposed after any updates) beforehand either. In short, the answer to your question is "no." Cheers, Matthew --=20 Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 7 Priory Courtyard Flat 3 PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate Kent, CT11 9PW --------------enigC38532532C6875C8E8464D3F Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" Content-Description: OpenPGP digital signature Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="signature.asc" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.8 (FreeBSD) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEAREIAAYFAkf3NWoACgkQ8Mjk52CukIyZcgCeM0Mf8pAP3tHPWGN85xOfUh/A oOcAn06+CKmwnoDZs6yNkYplipsjq2gS =BWmq -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --------------enigC38532532C6875C8E8464D3F--