[olug] Logging

[Robert A. Jacobs]

On Wed, 2003-02-26 at 17:43, CM Miller wrote:
> 
> 
> Have you ever read an e-mail on the olug list,
> disregared it, then a week later something calls you
> attention back to it, and you have to go back to the
> archives to read it again? 
 
I "archive" olug on my local machine...so I just tell Evolution
to filter on the topic I need.  3808 messages as of *now*.  I've
got the space; at some point I'll probably just burn them to disk
and get them off my system.  For now they get burned to backup with
the rest of my files every month or so.

<snip>

> The reason I bring this up cause I remember Mozilla
> Yet No Java thread,
> http://lists.olug.org/pipermail/olug/2003-February/001886.html,
> and fellow OLUGER, Robert A. Jacobs replied and said
> he logged his attempt of installing a java plugin for
> Mozilla.  I never though of doing this until I saw the
> co-worker and Robert's reply.  

Guilty. :)

> 
> My question is, how many on the list go thru this much
> detail of logging by hand into a file or notebook,
> when they install a new or remove a package,
> application crash, or anything else?  
> 
> I can see this as be a great practice and gives you a
> trail to follow if you need to troublshoot, but part
> of me thinks this is way to anal and is it worth the
> trouble?  
> 

I log the information I think I will need in order to restore
my system to a particular state in the least amount of time.  Typically,
this means I keep:

	* Detailed records on the hardware in my machine (chipsets, 
  	  model numbers, features, etc.).  These things are particularly
	  useful when you recompile your kernel.
	
	* I keep records of any "tricks" I had to do to get something
	  working...the mozilla java thing, for example.

	* I keep a copy of my /etc/apt/sources.list file in my logs

	* I keep a copy of my kernel configuration selections in my
          logs so I can recover in the event of a total harddrive loss.
	
	* I keep a list of known/suspected bugs I have encountered and
	  how to work around them (i.e. I track bugs that bother me --
	  at present, there are none serious enough to me to bother
	  with)

For all you Debian users, prior to a backup, I always execute 
	
	dpkg --get-selections > installed_packages.txt

and include the file in the backup so that I have a record of what
software I have installed on my system.  If I was running a lot of
software out of /usr/local, I'd probably keep a list of software titles,
versions and download locations (or keep the downloaded tar balls
somewhere I could get at them easily in the event of a crash).

As a home-user, my "logging" activities are geared towards system
recovery:  getting the system back up in the least amount of time.  I
don't bother with "reboots" and every little configuration change.

The other reason, I log is to be able to provide detailed help to other
people who have run into a problem I have already solved.  Besides the
mozilla thing, I was keeping records on configuring dial-up modems and
the SB AWE 32 sound card for a long time.  I recently purged those --
haven't seen anyone ask about configuring either in a long time.  Most
of the distros have those down pat now -- the primary problem with
modems seems to be the whole "winmodem" thing...

Anyways, this is a home system.  When it comes right down to it, the 
only thing I REALLY care about is my data.  The rest is not that big a
deal...a bit of inconvenience (logging) now to provide a LOT of
convenience later (when your last nerve is shot, anyways!).

robert.a.jacobs