Don't let mergemaster beat you down [was Re: Failed update]

[Paul Schmehl]

--On Tuesday, August 11, 2009 01:18:32 -0500 Wayne Sierke <ws at au.dyndns.ws> 
wrote:

>
> On Sun, 2009-08-09 at 08:34 -0700, Richard Mahlerwein wrote:
>> I'm redoing the whole process in single user mode.  My guess is I
>> goofed something during mergemaster and devd.conf is messed up.
>> (Mergemaster is, undeniably, my least favorite utility).
>
> I lost practically all of my 'mergemaster pain' when I adopted the habit
> of using it with -iUP options:
>
>         -i      Automatically install any files that do not exist in the des-
>                 tination directory.
>         -P      Preserve files that you replace in
>                 /var/tmp/mergemaster/preserved-files-<date>, or another
>                 directory you specify in your mergemaster rc file.
>         -U      Attempt to auto upgrade files that have not been user modi-
>                 fied.
>
> "Try it - you'll like it!"
>

That's one way to do it.  Another is to use /etc/mergemaster.rc.  Here's mine:

# less /etc/mergemaster.rc
# Automatically install files that do not exist
AUTO_INSTALL='yes'
# Automatically upgrade files that have not been edited
AUTO_UPGRADE='yes'
# Ignore files that I don't want changed
IGNORE_FILES='/etc/motd'
# Do not display changes that only affect whitespace
DIFF_FLAG="'.Bub'"
# Ignore CVS id lines to stop replacing files where only that line has changed
DIFF_OPTIONS='-I$FreeBSD:.*[$]'

I never have issues with mergemaster because of this file.

-- 
Paul Schmehl, Senior Infosec Analyst
As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions
are my own and not those of my employer.
*******************************************
"It is as useless to argue with those who have
renounced the use of reason as to administer
medication to the dead." Thomas Jefferson