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PERSONALITY(8)		     System Manager's Manual		  PERSONALITY(8)

NAME
     personality -- system configuration management utility

SYNOPSIS
     personality [options ...]

DESCRIPTION
     This script provides functionality for manipulating collections of configu-
     ration  files  which  can	be organised so as to alter the personality of a
     system.

     Initially, the base personality is established. This  personality	contains
     the  reference copies of configuration files, and is used when creating new
     personalities.  The files which are currently considered part of  the  sys-
     tem's personality are those contained in the base personality.

     A	new  personality is established by making a copy of the base personality
     under a new name. Each personality maintains a separate copy of all config-
     uration files under /etc/personality.

     To install a new personality, the files currently in place are  saved  back
     to  the  current  personality as indicated in /etc/personality/current, and
     the files for the new personality copied into place.

     The select and menu commands which perform these installations  are  imple-
     mented in such a fashion as to only require the tools available on the root
     filesystem, so that they may be invoked at the earliest stage during system
     startup.

     If  the current personality has become damaged, it can be restored from the
     saved copy.

     Files can be added to and removed from the personality set. When a new file
     is added, it is copied from the current system into all  personalities  and
     added  to the list file. When a file is removed the current version is kept
     in place, but all copies are removed from saved personalities and the  file
     is removed from the list.

FILES
     /etc/personality	       configuration base
     /etc/personality/_base    system files under management of personality
     /etc/personality/current  backup  location of current files before new per-
			       sonality is copied into place

SEE ALSO
     rc(8)

BUGS
     Currently none.

HISTORY
     The  personality	script	 has   been   written	1997   by   Mike   Smith
     <msmith@FreeBSD.org>.   The personality manual page has been written by An-
     dreas Klemm <andreas@FreeBSD.org>.

FreeBSD ports 15.quarterly	 March 25, 2001 		  PERSONALITY(8)

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