Configuration suggestion...

[Martin Hepworth]

or just write the process down in a wiki/web page and then copy paste
or have a script to do the whole lot.

2009/8/10 Michael H. Warfield <mhw at wittsend.com>

> On Mon, 2009-08-10 at 19:00 +0100, Jules Field wrote:
> > I don't quite see what that would achieve that the
> > upgrade_MailScanner_conf doesn't.
> > I don't entirely understand your point, sorry.
>
>         The point is that upgrade_MailScanner_conf is a PITA.  I typically
> have
> to have two screens up and refer back and forth while I've got the
> instructions from one process in one screen and performing the actions
> in another.
>
>        The install script tells you to run upgrade_MailScanner_conf, but
> then
> it tells you "if you're running an rpm distro do..."
>
> cd /etc/MailScanner
> upgrade_MailScanner_conf MailScanner.conf MailScanner.conf.rpmnew >
> MailScanner.new
> mv -f MailScanner.conf MailScanner.old
> mv -f MailScanner.new  MailScanner.conf
>
>        ... But then that tells you ...
>
> then you should do
>  diff -w MailScanner.conf.rpmnew MailScanner.new
> and check for any differences in values you have not changed yourself.
>
>
> Once you have checked that MailScanner.new contains what
> you want, you can then save your old one and move the new
> one into place, using commands like these:
>  mv -f MailScanner.conf MailScanner.old
>  mv -f MailScanner.new  MailScanner.conf
>
>        That's a lot of manual steps that have to be performed each time on
> each system.  Having a site configuration would obviate the need for all
> of that.  You just update the main file which could be easily handled in
> a simple rpm update like all the other packages do.
>
>        Mike
>
> > On 10/08/2009 18:42, Michael H. Warfield wrote:
> > > Hey all, Julian,
> > >
> > >     I was just in the process of upgrading MailScanner on several
> machines
> > > and had been doing a few other similar things to some other packages
> and
> > > had a thought regarding the configuration file.  Right now, we use the
> > > configuration upgrade script and some diffing and what not (I'm on an
> > > rpm based system - Fedora 10).
> > >
> > >     Maybe this has been brought up in the past and dismissed and maybe
> > > there are good reasons for not doing it or may it can be done, I just
> > > don't know how...  But...  What about a separate, site specific,
> > > configuration file?  Keep the main file with all the default options
> but
> > > then have the admin put customized options in a separate file and not
> > > modify the main file?
> > >
> > >     Several other packages I know do it this way and it makes updating
> so
> > > much easier and less error prone.  The main file would then have
> > > instructions to put customized values into the site file while it still
> > > retains all the possible options and their defaults and the detailed
> > > instructions.  The admin can make the site file as complex or as simple
> > > as he likes.  Updates then merely require a check that the main file
> has
> > > not been alter and then a simple replacement.  Value checks and
> warnings
> > > could still be applied but then it would be to both the main and site
> > > specific file.  Maybe make the configuration file(s) a colon separated
> > > string, like a PATH, with the last value read from any of them holding
> > > precedence.
> > >
> > >     Yes, there is the possibility that the user might have some
> > > incompatible option in a site file that could cause a version skew
> > > problem.  Given the normal tunable parameters, this would seem pretty
> > > unlikely and could be caught in the update check for default files.
> > >
> > >     It would certainly make packaging for a distribution much easier
> and
> > > updates much more convenient for the system administrator.
> > >
> > >     Just a thought.
> > >
> > >     Regards,
> > >     Mike
> > >
> >
> > Jules
> >
> > --
> > Julian Field MEng CITP CEng
> > www.MailScanner.info
> > Buy the MailScanner book at www.MailScanner.info/store
> >
> > Need help customising MailScanner?
> > Contact me!
> > Need help fixing or optimising your systems?
> > Contact me!
> > Need help getting you started solving new requirements from your boss?
> > Contact me!
> >
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> > Follow me at twitter.com/JulesFM and twitter.com/MailScanner
> >
> >
> > --
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> > believed to be clean.
>
> --
> Michael H. Warfield (AI4NB) | (770) 985-6132 |  mhw at WittsEnd.com
>   /\/\|=mhw=|\/\/          | (678) 463-0932 |
> http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/
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>
>
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>


-- 
Martin Hepworth
Oxford, UK
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