Delete multiple lines between blank lines containing two patterns

UNIX for Beginners Q & A
1

Hi all,

I'm looking for a way (sed or awk) to delete multiple lines between blank lines containing two patterns ex:

user: alpha
parameter_1 = 15
parameter_2 = 1
parameter_3 = 0

user: alpha
parameter_1 = 15
parameter_2 = 1
parameter_3 = 0

user: alpha
parameter_1 = 16
parameter_2 = 0
parameter_3 = 1

user: beta
parameter_1 = 15
parameter_2 = 1
parameter_3 = 0

.

I want to delete the paragraph containing the same user and the same parameter_1, in the exemple: user=alpha and parameter_1=15 . The expected result should be:

user: alpha
parameter_1 = 15
parameter_2 = 1
parameter_3 = 0

user: alpha
parameter_1 = 16
parameter_2 = 0
parameter_3 = 1

user: beta
parameter_1 = 15
parameter_2 = 1
parameter_3 = 0

.
2

Do you want to delete duplicate "records"?
If so:

awk '!a[$0]++' RS= myFile
3

Use this if differences in parameter_2 and parameter_3 are to be ignored:

awk '!a[$1,$2]++' FS="\n" RS= ORS="\n\n" file
4

Exactly what i was looking for.

Thanks for all the solutions