oddly enough, I did:

<boot -s>
mount -u /
cd /usr/obj/..../destdir.i386
tar cBpf - . | (cd /; tar --unlink -xBpf -)

and *lost* config!!!

I would have expected the old path to keep it. Maybe etcupdate mtree
changes wiped it out as 'old' or something. Put it back by hand, all
well until next u/g

-G