A few days ago I asked about packages that tracked installations of software.
What I was looking for is something that will keep a record of all files
added, deleted, or changed during software installation, and show you what was
changed via a report. Several of you responded with ideas, I thought I'd get
back to you with my opinions of those packages.
tripwire
Tripwire looks like a great package for security admins, but for my
use, I
don't think it's quite up to par. The software monitors your system and
informs you if any file has been added, changed, or deleted. If such a case
arises, it allows you to copy archived versions of the changed files. This
software would be of great use to those needing to know when a user changes a
file on a system - and allows admins to prevent users from making incorrect
modifications where they shouldn't be.
The reason I can't use this package is that it doesn't show you what was
changed in a given file, just that it was changed. In order to be able to
back out installations (if I need to), I need to know what changes were made
to my config files.
instmon
This is a great script, and almost accomplishes what I need, except for
one
thing - it doesn't track files added or deleted. The author says that that
functionality would require additional scans of the disk, and would slow the
process down. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I need.
So, unless anyone else has any ideas, I'm off to start writing my first Linux
program. I've written something similar to this for my Win/Dos machine, but
am starting fresh on coding for a Linux system. I'll get back to you when I
have a working version.
-Jay
