xref: /freebsd/etc/mtree/README (revision 05248206f720394d95c2a7475429311df670a2e9)
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2Note: If you modify these files, please keep hier(7) updated!
3
4These files are used to create empty file hierarchies for building the
5system into.  Some notes about working with them are placed here to try
6and keep them in good working order.
7
8    a)  The files use 4 space indentation, and other than in the header
9        comments, should not contain any tabs.  An indentation of 4 is
10        preferable to the standard indentation of 8 because the indentation
11        of levels in these files can become quite deep causing the line to
12        overflow 80 characters.
13
14        This also matches with the files generated when using the
15        mtree -c option, which was implemented that way for the same reason.
16
17    b)  Only directories should be listed here.
18
19    c)  The listing should be kept in filename sorted order.
20
21    d)  Sanity checking changes to these files can be done by following
22        this procedure (the sed -e is ugly, but fixing mtree -c to
23        not emit the trailing white space would be even uglier):
24
25            mkdir /tmp/MTREE
26            mtree -deU -f BSD.X.dist -p /tmp/MTREE
27            mtree -cdin -k uname,gname,mode -p /tmp/MTREE | \
28		sed -e 's/ *$//' >BSD.X.new
29            diff -u BSD.X.dist BSD.X.new
30            rm -r /tmp/MTREE
31
32        Note that you will get some differences about /set lines,
33        and uname= gname= on certain directory areas, mainly man page
34        sections.  This is caused by mtree not having a look ahead
35        mechanism for making better selections for these as it
36        traverses the hierarchy.
37
38        The BSD.X.new file should NOT be committed, as it will be missing
39        the correct header, and important keywords like ``nochange''.
40        Simply use the diff for a sanity check to make sure things are in
41        the correct order and correctly indented.
42
43    e)  Further sanity checking of the system builds with DESTDIR=/someplace
44        are more complicated, but can often catch missing entries in these
45        files.  I tend to run this more complete sanity check shortly after
46        the target date for a new release is announced.
47
48        If you want details on it bug me about it via email to
49        rgrimes@FreeBSD.org.
50