System profile versioning: Managing system profiles

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## 6. Managing system profiles

Once system profile versions are defined, you can switch back and forth between them. Linuxconf preserves the configuration files for all sub-systems that are not shared between the two version. After that it restores the configuration files for the newly selected version.

## 6.1 Using the control panel

In the control panel, you find the menu entry switch system version. This menu presents you with the list of all versions available (except the currently active one). You just pick one and there you are.

You may want to visit the Activate changes menu of the control panel or leave Linuxconf so the new configuration is brought into action.

## 6.2 At boot time

At boot time, an option lets you select the proper profile version. As with the option in the control panel, this involves archiving the current version and restoring the new one. Linuxconf may then boot using the new configuration files.

## 6.3 From the command line

Limited functionality is available from the command line to play with the archiving. Both command line options only work on the current version. They are handy to do some experiments and undo them. Remember that RCS is used to save the files. This means that you can extract a very old copy of a configuration file if needed. Linuxconf does not support this yet though. You have to dig in the /etc/linuxconf/archive.

### Archiving some or all sub-systems

The command

> `

>             linuxconf --archive [ sub-system ... ]

> `

lets you save a copy of the configuration files of a few sys-systems. If you omit a sub-system name, then all sub-systems are archived.

### Comparing the current setting with the archive

The command

> `

>             linuxconf --diff [ sub-system ... ]

> `

lets you compare the current state of a the configuration files with the last archived version. If you omit a sub-system name, then all sub-systems are compared.

### Extracting some or all sub-systems

The command

> `

>             linuxconf --extract [ sub-system ... ]

> `

lets you restore the configuration files of a few sys-systems. If you omit a sub-system name, then all sub-systems are restored.

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