etckeeper

Install etckeeper.

What does it get you? A git repo in /etc with a pre-populated .gitignore. A nice automatic git log of etc changes. Various apt hooks to automatically commit on package changes. Daily commits to record other changes. Ability to commit your changes manually if you want more than just a history.

What to know: Private information is included in this repo. Pay attention to permissions and ownership when copying it elsewhere. Read /usr/share/doc/etckeeper/README.mdwn.gz for more depth on security concerns.