+#hmmm: move to core!
+
+# given a filename and a string to seek and a number of lines, then this
+# function will remove the first occurrence of a line in the file that
+# matches the string, and it will also axe the next N lines as specified.
+function create_chomped_copy_of_file()
+{
+ local filename="$1"; shift
+ local seeker="$1"; shift
+ local numlines=$1; shift
+
+ # make a backup first, oy.
+ \cp -f "$filename" "$filename.bkup-${RANDOM}"
+ test_or_die "backing up file: $filename"
+
+ # make a temp file to write to before we move file into place in bind.
+ local new_version="/tmp/${filename}.bkup-${RANDOM}"
+ \rm -f "$new_version"
+ test_or_die "cleaning out new version of file from: $new_version"
+
+ local line
+ local skip_count=0
+ while read line; do
+ # don't bother looking at the lines if we're already in skip mode.
+ if [[ $skip_count == 0 ]]; then
+ # find the string they're seeking.
+ if [[ ! "$line" =~ *"$seeker"* ]]; then
+ # no match.
+ echo "$line" >> "$new_version"
+ else
+ # a match! start skipping. we will delete this line and the next N lines.
+ ((skip_count++))
+echo first skip count is now $skip_count
+ fi
+ else
+ # we're already skipping. let's keep going until we hit the limit.
+ ((skip_count++))
+echo ongoing skip count is now $skip_count
+ if [[ $skip_count >= $numlines ]]; then
+ echo "Done skipping, and back to writing output file."
+ skip_count=0
+ fi
+ fi
+ done < "$filename"
+
+#put the file back into place.
+echo file we created looks like this:
+filedump "$new_version"
+
+echo bailing
+exit 1
+
+ \mv "$new_version" "$filename"
+ test_or_die "moving the new version into place in: $filename"
+
+
+}
+