Handling configuration files is a pretty well understood process and there's good code in all of the modern open source package managers. For example, if you use rpm then it compares MD5 checksums of the ostensible original file, the current file, and the new file. See for instance http://www.rpm.org/max-rpm/ch-rpm-upgrade.html
In the case of a collision (original!=current!=new), RPM's approach is > RPM is not able to analyze the contents of the files, and determine > what is going on. In this instance, it takes the best possible > approach. The new file is known to work properly with the rest of > the software in the new package — at least the people building the > new package should have insured that it does. The modified original > file is an unknown: it might work with the new package, it might > not. So RPM installs the new file. > > BUT… The existing file was definitely modified. Someone made an > effort to change the file, for some reason. Perhaps the information > contained in the file is still of use. Therefore, RPM saves the > modified file, naming it <file>.rpmsave, and prints a warning, so > the user knows what happened: I believe this is the best approach even if you aren't using RPM (or apt or smart or whatever) [personally, I think DSpace should be available as a .rpm. Let's get over the NIH mentality.] JQ Johnson Director, Scholarly Communications and Instructional Support University of Oregon Libraries 1299 University of Oregon T: 541-346-1746; F: -3485 Eugene, OR 97403-1299 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://libweb.uoregon.edu office: 115F Knight Library ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ DSpace-tech mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-tech
