[rancid] Extra spaces being randomly added - and seen as config changes

[Per-Olof Olsson]

heasley skrev 2013-01-02 18:24:
> Tue, Jan 01, 2013 at 02:29:02PM -0800, Aaron Wasserott:
>> I am running RANCID 2.3.8 on Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS, Precise Pangolin, kernel 3.2.0-35-generic x86_64.
>>
>> I am seeing some odd behavior when running rancid against Cisco and Mikrotik devices. The output will sometimes have extra spaces - or line breaks maybe? - that is then seen as a config change when it's not. Two examples below. The first from a Mikrotik router and the second a Cisco router.
>>
>> In the first example an extra space was seen after "sensitive source=" . In the second example the ports listed in the VLAN output break across two lines, but sometimes only one. In this second example, I have noticed it will go back and forth. Sometimes the ports are listed all on one line, sometimes two. I have many Mikrotiks with many lines of configs, so I haven't checked to see if there is a recurring issue with the same line or not.
>>
>> -----------------
>>
>> - add name=startup-tone policy=ftp,reboot,read,write,policy,test,winbox,password,sniff,sensitive source=":for t1 from=1 to=10 step=1 do={\r\n   :for t2 from=300 to=1800 step=40 do={\r \n     :beep frequency=\$t2 length=11ms;\r \n     :delay 11ms;\r \n   }\r \n }\r \n"
>> + add name=startup-tone policy=ftp,reboot,read,write,policy,test,winbox,password,sniff,sensitive source=": for t1 from=1 to=10 step=1 do={\r \n   :for t2 from=300 to=1800 step=40 do={\r \n     :beep frequency=\$t2 length=11ms;\r \n     :delay 11ms;\r \n   }\r \n }\r \n"
>
> I suspect this is the device.  try mtlogin -c 'export' device in a loop and
> look for the change.  the mtlogin code looks ok to me, but i dont have one of
> these for testing.
>
>> - !VLAN: 1    default                          active    Fa2, Fa3, Fa4, Fa5, Fa6, Fa7
>> - !VLAN:                                                 Fa8, Fa9
>> + !VLAN: 1    default                          active    Fa2, Fa3, Fa4, Fa5, Fa6, Fa7, Fa8, Fa9
>>
>> -----------------
>
> this is the device itself, which i thought was due to the terminal width.  but
> 2.3.8 should have the change that sets the width.  unless the use that runs
> rancid does not have permission to alter the terminal width, i havent an idea
> why this would be occuring.
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If you upgrade to 2.3.8 it's good habit to compare the new 
rancid.conf.sample with current rancid.conf.

Check if you have the new settings for fixed terminal width and
sort order in place, else it will differ if you run rancid from terminal 
window och cron.

---------rancid.conf.sample-----------------
#
TERM=network;export TERM
#
# Collating locale
LC_COLLATE="POSIX"; export LC_COLLATE
#
-----------------------------------------

/Peo
----------------------------------------------------------
Per-Olof Olsson               Email: peo at chalmers.se
Chalmers tekniska högskola    IT-service
Hörsalsvägen 5                412 96 Göteborg
Tel: 031/772 6738  Fax: 031/772 8680
----------------------------------------------------------