FILETRAQ(8)

📦 version 0.4build1, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 FILETRAQ 💖

okay bestie, buckle up, we're doing the filetraq page from the System Manager's Manual, and yes it's filed under section 8 (that's the "system admin stuff, handle with care" section, iykyk) 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

filetraq — keep track of changes in config files. literally its whole job. iconic behaviour tbh 👑

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

filetraq --help
filetraq [filelist] [backupdir]

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so this page is just a lil quick intro to the filetraq command — a brief overview, not the whole saga. and fun fact: this manual page was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution because the original program doesn't have a manual page at all. no cap. we made one for you because we love you 💖

FileTraq is a shell script that reads a list of files to watch, runs diff against each file and its backup, and reports any discrepancies — and along the way it keeps a dated backup of the original. so you always know what changed and you've got the receipts. 📸

it's designed to be run as a cron job. set it and forget it, main character energy 🌈

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

this command has two possible invocations, and the vibes differ:

  • --help — shows you a summary of options plus the default values of the config file and the backup directory. it's giving "tell me everything before I commit" 💁

and the other invocation has no options at all — just a config file, or a config file and the backupdir.

The script reads the /etc/default/filetraq configuration file, which lets the administrator change the default values of:

  • the config file ( file )
  • the backup directory ( backupdir )
  • the diff options used to print the filetraq output ( diffopts , e.g. -p -C 1 or -u )
  • the diff order ( difforder , either newold — that's the FileTraq default before version 0.3 — or oldnew , the traditional Unix default)

🔒 SECURITY 🔒

FileTraq is not well tested or hardened. 😭

It runs as root, but all of its config files should only be accessible by root. No security holes are known at this time, but please be careful. like, genuinely careful. root is not a joke bestie, respect the power 🫡

💀 BUGS 💀

Right now, it doesn't take care of its backups very well. The dated backups will accumulate in the backups directory, bounded only by diskspace. so it's just gonna... keep collecting them. forever. until the disk says no 🙈

It only handles text files — it isn't a Tripwire replacement for use with system binaries. don't come for it about binaries, that's not its lane ✋

📁 FILES 📁

  • /etc/filetraq.conf
  • /etc/default/filetraq
  • /var/lib/filetraq

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

diff(1), cron(8).

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Jeremy Weatherford <xidus@xidus.net> Homepage: http://filetraq.xidus.net/

This manual page was written by Sergio Talens-Oliag <sto@debian.org>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others). we love a generous license moment 💜

and that's a wrap on the June 2001 edition of the System Manager's Manual, FILETRAQ(8). old page, still slaying. bye bestie, go back up your configs 💖✨🦋

📦 where this page comes from