[Devil-Linux-discuss] DL configuration

[Dick M. <di...@li...>]

Hi,

	I just thought I'd throw this in just as you're all working away with the 
detail of the first 1.4 ;-)

Have just done a few system updates I find one thing irritates me: that is the 
process of copying files from the old to new config.  It's the feeling of 
uncertainty about what's happening - what's being copied that shouldn't be and, 
more important, what isn't being copied but should be.  To be fair the only 
problem I've had are with sym-links in /etc/rcN.d ... but it still troubles me.

I thought there might be a better way.  A while ago I was mucking about with 
unionfs  (http://www.am-utils.org/project-unionfs.html) and it seems to me this 
might give a more straightforward way of doing the job.

Unionfs can be thought of as a change-on-write layer over a read-only 
filesystem.  It provides the capability to appear to change the contents of, 
say, a DVD; the changes actually being stored elsewhere.

For DL this would allow the standard /etc to be put on release cdrom image and 
admin configurations to be layered over the top at will.  The changes only can 
then easily be copied to the config media with save-config and restored on reboot.

For system upgrades there is no need for any additional action. All the admin's 
files remain unchanged but the new default files are there underneath if needed.

There is another possible benefit too.  It would allow those who wish to add 
addition programs or libraries to the system directories (such as dovecot's 
cmusieve plugin) to do just that.

I'm not sure what the implications are for security or how that can be 
controlled but the principle of 'reboot to restore' would not be broken.

What do you think?

Dick