Hi!
post garuda-update i got To follow user config changes open up Garuda Assistant & hit apply configs
the only button i can find in the Assistant says Reset Selected Configs in the Maintenance tab, is this the button being referred to?
thx!! <<q
Some user config files stored in ~/.config or similar are copies of system files stored higher up in the directory tree. Updates to your system can change the system files, but they typically cannot make changes to the local config files stored in your home folder.
In the case of an update providing a change to a system config file that you would like to use, you would need to also make the change in the local (profile) copy. Otherwise the local copy will be interpreted as your user preference, and will overwrite the system config file.
This is a perfectly fine way to accomplish this. Do bear in mind if you have any customization you have applied to the local config file, this method will overwrite those changes.
Fantastic reply! Thx!
do you know if there is a simple method of diffing the user files vs their system counterparts?
thx again!
The system files will be stored above /home in the directory tree.
A lot of times if you open up a config file it will say right in it where the counterpart is. A system file might have a few lines that say "Don't edit this file, if you want to make a change edit ~/.config/blah.blah.blah" or something along those lines.
If you poke around in the dot files hidden in your home folder you will see a lot of programs store little config files there related to things you have customized on your system. No harm in opening up a config file in micro and having a peek if you are curious!
All of the "Reset selected configs" buttons you see in the Maintenance tab have a system file and a local copy. If you mess up your config somehow (it happens!) and hit that button, it will copy over the system file into the local version and "reset" it for you.
You could use something like
meld ~/.config/<file path and name> /etc/skel/.config/<file path and name>
and decide what to move from /etc/skel to home, and what to keep in your home, even if not available in /etc/skel.
This as a concept, the precise path (and files) should be rechecked.
kompare could do the job as well if you're on KDE.
lol, I see now I think I misread the question. 
Not necessarily.
I'm often the one who misunderstands 
no problem! fantastic reply for a newbie! 
there also seems to be one at /etc/i3/config to take i3 as an example .. so that is 3 different versions -- any quick explanation?
l /etc/i3/config /etc/skel/.config/i3/config ~/.config/i3/config
.rw-r--r-- 14k czrpb 24 Oct 2021 /home/czrpb/.config/i3/config
.rw-r--r-- 7.7k root 16 Dec 2021 /etc/i3/config
.rw-r--r-- 14k root 22 Feb 05:26 /etc/skel/.config/i3/config
Let's say that ~/.config/* has an equivalent "somewhere" in /etc/*.
You have to invest some time to find what you want to keep under control.
thx! ill stop now .. y'all r great! 
The etc/skel directories contain the configs that inform the ~/.config directory. They are used when setting up a new user profile, and those are also the files that get copied if you click the "reset configs" buttons.
The other one you listed (/etc/i3/config) is the system file, often created by the program itself. Typically the system file should be left alone, unless you have a well-informed reason to make a change to it.
The good part of having a local copy stored in your profile is the system will generally respect whatever changes you make there--but also if you screw it up, all is not lost because you can fall back on the system files for restoration.
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