[clue] [TECH] Is there a way to dump a system configuration?

[Brian Gibson]

This is probably directed at server admins, but it can apply to desktop users as 
well.  Is there a way to dump an existing system's configuration into a single 
script file that can be executed from a fresh install?  The script doesn't have 
to be comprehensive, but getting 100% coverage of all customizations from a 
stock install would be a bonus. 


I know 'yum list installed' or 'dpkg -l' will list installed packages, but 
they're very verbose and would require parsing to turn into an executable 
script.  It would be nice if the method would be able to condense the script 
into the least number of commands required by leveraging meta-packages.

If there's an alternative approach to automating the documentation and 
replication of a system configuration, I'm all ears.  For example, I'm aware of 
imaging, but that handles the replication and not necessarily the documentation.

-Brian