mergemaster options

[Charles Howse]

On Apr 6, 2009, at 7:03 AM, Manolis Kiagias wrote:

> Charles Howse wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I'm upgrading form 4.6-RELEASE to 4.6-STABLE.
>> When I get to the *second* run of mergemaster (after installworld),
>> I'd be interested to hear the list's comments on using options to
>> start mergemaster.
>>
>> For example, have you had good luck with:
>> mergemaster -i -u (install any files that don't already exist, and
>> attempt to install any files that haven't been user-modified)
>
> Yes, I am using this all the time. Note that you need a capital "U":
>
> mergemaster -iU

Right, capital U.  That's good to know. Thanks.
>
>
>>
>> Also, what is the first line of a file used for?  What parts of the  
>> OS
>> 'care' about that line?  What would happen if I kept the existing  
>> file
>> below, with it's older date and version #?  (This is just a made-up
>> example).
>>
>> keep this existing file:
>> # $FreeBSD: src/etc/csh.cshrc,v 1.3 1999/08/27 23:23:40 peter Exp $
>> my custom line
>> blah
>>
>> delete this (fake) temporary file:
>> # $FreeBSD: src/etc/csh.cshrc,v 1.4 2000/08/27 23:23:40 peter Exp $
>> blah
>> blah
>>
>> I hope that's clear...?
>>
>
> The lines you see starting with $FreeBSD are used by the Version  
> Control
> System (CVS or SVN).
> You have to judge by the content of the older file (not by the tag)
> whether to keep or upgrade the file. Usually, you will let it upgrade
> all files which you have not modified yourself. In some of these the
> only thing that changes is the tag.
> Before doing the mergemaster step, I suggest you keep a complete  
> backup
> copy of your /etc directory.  It may happen that you replace a file  
> you
> actually need. And it is a real problem if you overwrite, say,
> master.passwd :)

Actually, I wasn't asking about the CVS line with regard to  
mergemaster.  I realize that mergemaster will stop and ask about any  
file in its list with a CVS line older than the new file.

What I really want to know is, let's say the file above is /etc/ 
hosts.allow, and I have customized it according to my needs.
If I leave the old file in /etc, I'm thinking it will still work just  
fine.  It's only mergemaster, and maybe cvsup, and things that  
actually deal with version control that are concerned with the CVS line.
Am I correct?