Comment 7 for bug 720440

I would like to see a solution like the following for this and other files generated at startup (e.g., apt sources):

If the user has not modified the file since it was created from a template, then the system should feel free to continue maintaining that file by regenerating it from the template on reboot, instance stop/start, booting of a new instance of an AMI based on an old instance, etc.

This could be done by saving a hash or signature of the file after generating it from the template. If the signature no longer matches, then the file should not be overwritten again, but if the signature still matches, then the system should update the file to match the current environment (IP addresses, EC2 region, etc.).

I think this solves most of the problems that folks are experiencing with the files not being maintained, while not creating the problems that would be experienced by users who want to manage their own files.