How to use the command etckeeper (with examples)

Etckeeper is a command-line tool used to track system configuration files in a Git repository. It allows you to version control changes to your system’s configuration files stored in the /etc directory. This can be useful for tracking changes and rolling back configuration updates if needed.

Use case 1: Set up a Git repo and perform various setup tasks

Code:

sudo etckeeper init

Motivation: When setting up a new system or starting to use etckeeper on an existing system, you need to initialize a Git repository in the /etc directory. This command enables tracking system configuration files and makes it possible to commit and view changes.

Explanation: The init subcommand initializes a Git repository in the /etc directory, creating a new .git folder. This folder will store all the revision history and changes made to the tracked configuration files.

Example output:

Initialized empty Git repository in /etc/.git/

Use case 2: Commit all changes in /etc

Code:

sudo etckeeper commit "Update configuration files"

Motivation: After making changes to the system configuration files, you can use this command to commit those changes to the repository. Committing allows you to provide a descriptive message about the changes made, making it easy to track and understand modifications.

Explanation: The commit subcommand commits all changes in the /etc directory to the Git repository. The commit message provided after the command describes the changes made in the commit.

Example output:

[master a3bdda8] Update configuration files
 3 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

Use case 3: Run arbitrary Git commands

Code:

sudo etckeeper vcs status

Motivation: You might need to run various Git commands on the etckeeper repository. This command allows you to execute arbitrary Git commands to perform specific actions or view repository information.

Explanation: The vcs subcommand is used to pass Git commands to the etckeeper repository. In this example, the status command is run to show the status of the repository, including information about any uncommitted changes.

Example output:

On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

nothing to commit, working tree clean

Use case 4: Check if there are uncommitted changes

Code:

sudo etckeeper unclean

Motivation: It can be useful to check if there are any uncommitted changes in the etckeeper repository. This command can be used in scripts or other tools to determine if any configuration files have been modified.

Explanation: The unclean subcommand checks if there are any uncommitted changes in the repository. It returns an exit code of 0 if there are no uncommitted changes and a non-zero exit code if there are changes.

Example output (no uncommitted changes):

Clean (nothing to commit)

Example output (with uncommitted changes):

Changes to commit in /etc: '/etc/passwd'

Use case 5: Destroy existing repo and stop tracking changes

Code:

sudo etckeeper uninit

Motivation: If for some reason you no longer want to track system configuration changes using etckeeper, this command allows you to destroy the existing Git repository in the /etc directory and stop tracking changes.

Explanation: The uninit subcommand destroys the existing Git repository in the /etc directory. This removes all revision history and stops etckeeper from tracking changes to the configuration files.

Example output:

This will destroy the existing etckeeper repository, and all of its history, in /etc. Are you SURE? [y/N] y
Repository removed.

Conclusion:

Etckeeper simplifies the process of tracking system configuration changes in a Git repository. It allows you to commit changes, view the status of the repository, check for uncommitted changes, and even destroy the repository if needed. By utilizing these use cases, you can better manage system configurations and easily roll back changes if necessary.