Questions about files beneath /etc: How to handle them, how they are important, how to make backups, how to find important information.
Questions tagged [etc]
182 questions
59
votes
1 answer
What is the purpose of /etc/default?
I've assumed /etc/default was a handy place to save the post-install/default state of configuration files so that when some poor sysadmin arrives at a new system she can quickly determine what has been customised on that instance.
But having just…
John Mee
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57
votes
1 answer
What is etc/alternatives used for?
What does /etc/alternatives stand for? How and why is it used?
I found gnome-tex-editor in /usr/bin which is linked as follows:
/usr/bin/gnome-text-editor -> /etc/alternatives/gnome-text-editor
/etc/alternatives/gnome-text-editor ->…
Pandya
- 35,771
- 44
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14
votes
1 answer
What's the difference between the "group" and "group-" file?
I know what the /etc/group file is for, but I'm also seeing a /etc/group- file. What's the difference between the two?
The same group names and ids appear in both files. Only the last column (users) is different.
I'm running ubuntu 11.04
anushr
- 253
7
votes
1 answer
Why do configuration folders have *.d in their name
Possible Duplicate:
Many directories have a “.d” suffix/extension. What does it mean?
Why do most of the folders in /etc/* end with *.d
I am just curious to know, why folders would have this ( extension? ).
Gaurav Butola
- 5,921
4
votes
1 answer
Where to find more information about xxx.d folders?
I see various references to "custom" folders in the /etc folder, with names matching some config file, eg /etc/resolv.conf and appended with .d. Examples are resolv.conf.d or cron.d.
Where can I find more documentation about this folder structure,…
Old Geezer
- 721
3
votes
1 answer
How to reset config files to default, especially boot sequence
Is there a way to reset all ubuntu config files, a batch procedure?. No the local config files, I mean all /etc config files.
I know how to do that one by one but that is a job for weeks or work.
migueleon
- 133
- 5
2
votes
1 answer
What does the [DEFAULT] written in the beginning of some files indicate and mean?
I have seen this especially in /etc folder, which perhaps means it should be the default configuration?
P.S.: The main reason behind asking this is, adding [DEFAULT] to the top of file renders all comments in blue colour which are otherwise white in…
jobin
- 27,708
2
votes
2 answers
Why is there /etc and ~/.config? Why is the global config called "etc" yet the user's config stuff is called ".config"?
Why is there /etc and ~/.config? Why is the global config called "etc" yet the user's config stuff is called ".config"?
bob123469420
- 23
- 3
1
vote
2 answers
How to revert damage done by editing /etc/os-release
currently running Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS. I changed the /etc/os-release file to match that of an older version to fool a program I was trying to install. While the file was changed Ubuntu installed some updated packages, but they all still came from…
cjm
- 49
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0
votes
1 answer
Is there any way to restore the distribution name?
I installed Ubuntu on my desktop years ago, and decided to add the BunsenLabs repository and install Bunsen desktop there. However there is one little thing: the package also replace the /etc/os-release. My question is how do I restore my os-release…
diamondburned
- 834
0
votes
1 answer
How do I prevent me from changing /etc/hosts
I'm trying to fight my bad habit of wasting time on time-consuming websites such as reddit/liveleak etc.
The only thing which seems to work is adding a line like this to my etc/hosts
127.0.1.1 www.reddit.com
It works for a few days but then when i…
user420004
0
votes
1 answer
problems with my /etc/profile
I am a rookie in ubuntu, I tried to install java but I think it was installed yet (I didn't check it before, sorry), now an error pops up appears in my screen every time I log in
/etc/profile: line 28: $'E[200~': order not found
Could anybody help…
-1
votes
1 answer
etc error in ubuntu while starting system
While installing Java I did something and now getting this error.
