Need help updating config files...

I recently installed vidalinux on a spare hard drive. It's a distro that's pretty much a stage 3 install of gentoo.

This is my first linux install, and so I'm not very experienced with linux but I'm getting used to many aspects really quick.

However, I'm really stumped on portage. Emerging a package itself is a breeze but I have no clue what to do to update the config files.

when I performed emerge sync. portage told me that portage needed to be updated. so I emerged portage, which took about 2 1/2 hours. Afterwards, I was told that I now have 7 config files that need to be updated. I typed emerge --help config to learn more about updating the config files but the explanations don't help me much.

in any case I'm stuck typing in etc-update or dispatch-conf without knowing how to proceed afterwards.

Quote:

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localhost root # find /etc -iname '._cfg????_*'
/etc/conf.d/._cfg0000_net
/etc/._cfg0000_man.conf
/etc/._cfg0000_rc.conf
/etc/ssl/misc/._cfg0000_c_issuer
/etc/ssl/misc/._cfg0000_CA.pl
/etc/ssl/misc/._cfg0000_der_chop
/etc/ssl/._cfg0000_openssl.cnf

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these are the files that I need to update. On the vidalinux forums I was told that I should be careful with the rc.conf and net files.

when typing dispatch-conf I get:

Quote:

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--- /etc/conf.d/net 2005-05-06 08:39:17.000000000 -0400
+++ /etc/conf.d/._cfg0000_net 2005-01-31 20:55:54.000000000 -0500
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@

# This is basically the ifconfig argument without the ifconfig $iface
#
-#iface_eth0="192.168.0.2 broadcast 192.168.0.255 netmask 255.255.255.0"
+iface_eth0="192.168.0.2 broadcast 192.168.0.255 netmask 255.255.255.0"
#iface_eth1="207.170.82.202 broadcast 207.0.255.255 netmask 255.255.0.0"

# For DHCP set iface_eth? to "dhcp"
@@ -32,6 +32,3 @@
#
#gateway="eth0/192.168.0.1"

-iface_eth1="dhcp"
-iface_eth0="dhcp"
-gateway="/"

>> (1 of 7) -- /etc/conf.d/net
>> q quit, h help, n next, e edit-new, z zap-new, u use-new
m merge, t toggle-merge, l look-merge:

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Could anyone walk me through the next steps or point me to a good HOWTO??

I have a few other questions concerning config files (these won't take as mcuh of your time ;):

1) What's the relation between config files and useflags.
2) What tools exist to facilitate updating config files (I'm a beginner so I'd like to be able to update the files, but I'm more concerned with having a functional distro that extremely optimises. Once I become more comfortable I'll be less shy about tweaking the settings.
3) I generally understand what config files are for but if anyone could clarify the purpose of config files I would really appreciate it

Thanks for you time. sorry for the long story ;)

Daniel

EDIT: another question, not necessarily related to portage. I read some HOWTOs where you're told to uncomment a line. I remember reading about that in a debian howto but I forgot what it implies exaclty. I'm pretty sure it's not just removing the #.

Just type:

Code:

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etc-update

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and choose "-5"

When emerge tells you to update config files it simply means running "etc-update"

etc-update will present you with a numberd list of the config files that have been updated during the emerge process, the first one in the list being 1. (obviously).

At the momment none of the config files have been actualy updated its just telling you which ones have updates available.
You are expected to review the list to ensure that there are no files that are essential to the running of the system (for example you certainly dont want the fstab file to be updated so if its presented as one of the files to be udpated you would say no and deleet the update otherwise your system wont boot.

Somtimes a file has been updated because the old one was found to be insecure in some way.. for example ssh.conf which controls access to secure shell on your system might have had some silly typing error in it in an old version allowing anyone to access your system. therefore it would be wise to update the file.

run "etc-update" and you will see a list of configs ready for updating. Type "1" and press enter, it will then display the full config file overlayd against the old one. Anything that will be updated will have a + at the start and any line which is to be removed in the new config will have a - at the start. you have to know your system pretty well to use this properly. read the file and make sure its not going to change any important settings like network configuration or gdm settings etc..
Now press Q and it will take you back to the list with some additional options asking you what you want to do. type the number of the desired option (replace origional file, deleet update etc..) and press enter.
Do this for each update but be carefull! For further information on etc-update check the gentoo docs.

I cant think of any direct relation between use flags and config files.

etc-update is the best tool for updateing configs (not perfect though)

config files simply tell aplications on your system how to behave and what to allow/disallow etc.

uncommenting a line allmost allwase means remove the # nothing else.

:)

Do not just select -5 without reviewing any changes as this will automerge all changes. you might totaly mess up your system if one of those files is needed for boot (like /etc/fstab) Do not blindly do -5!

true...I do usually read before i -5...oh well

But if you use -3 you can allow/deny the merging, so -3 is safe if you know what files you should'nt merge...

Thanks for all the advice. Things make a lot more sense now :)

it's certainly a challenge, especially as a noob, but you definately learn a lot so it's all good

Thanks

Dan

I'm looking at my rc.conf file that needs to be updated:

Showing differences between /etc/rc.conf and /etc/._cfg0000_rc.conf
--- /etc/rc.conf 2005-05-05 21:50:09.000000000 -0400
+++ /etc/._cfg0000_rc.conf 2005-01-31 20:55:54.000000000 -0500
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
#PROTOCOLS="1 2 10"

# What display manager do you use ? [ xdm | gdm | kdm | entrance ]
-DISPLAYMANAGER="gdm"
+#DISPLAYMANAGER="xdm"

# XSESSION is a new variable to control what window manager to start
# default with X if run with xdm, startx or xinit. The default behavior
@@ -92,4 +92,3 @@
# Xsession - will start a terminal and a few other nice apps

#XSESSION="Gnome"
-CLOCK=local


If I'm reading this correctly, it wants to change from gdm to xdm. should I ignore this one and just leave gdm as is??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AvixK7

If I'm reading this correctly, it wants to change from gdm to xdm. should I ignore this one and just leave gdm as is??

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I would leave it.

It's setting XDM commented out.... It looks like it's trying to revert the rc.conf-file back to defaults... Don't let it. It once reverted /etc/fstab back to defaults over here when I just pressed, y, y, y!