I do a make build into a DESTDIR area and then just diff $DESTDIR/etc /etc
to see what's different I may want to incorporate.

Not the best method and something a bit more automated could stand to be
done.

James


>I'm new to NetBSD, so please bear with me.  I need to know what happens
>to the files in /etc during an upgrade, since I'll be tracking 1.5_ALPHA
>as part of a research effort on log-based file systems.
>
>The INSTALL file for 1.5_ALPHA, in the section titled "Upgrading a
>previously-installed NetBSD System", states that "existing configuration
>files in /etc are backed up and merged with the new files."  However, a
>search of the mail archives indicates that this might be limited to just
>preserving the old fstab and copying it back to /etc after the upgrade. 
>In any case, the INSTALL file is silent on exactly how the merge takes
>place.
>
>I follow FreeBSD, and there are often important changes in /etc --- not
>only contents of files, but sometimes changes in what files exist and
>where they are located.  So, my questions:
>
>  1)  To what extent is this true of NetBSD?
>
>  2)  What's the best way to examine /etc and
>      resolve differences between old and
>      upgraded files?  In particular, is there
>      anything like FreeBSD's "mergemaster"?
>
>  --Dwight Tuinstra
>    tuinstra@clarkson.edu
>
>
>
>