Re: Selection-time configuration, delayed configuration, &c
On Wed, 22 Jan 1997, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Why do we want selection-time configuration ?
Other people have it (this doesn't make it useful, but does make
it familiar).
>
> (NB: this is not a rhetorical question.)
>
> It seems to me that this has been much-touted, but isn't actually all
> that useful.
Well, the functionality we need (IMHO) is to be able to do
"batch" style installs. Interactive installs need to be done one
by one with me sitting in front of each machine (not _each_
machine, but each machine I install ;-)). Selection time
configuration doesn't actually achieve this, but splitting the
configuration settings out into a database does provide a
mechanism for it. If we do that, having the ability to interface
with such a database at package selection time shouldn't be too
hard. It would really be a partial side effect of storing
configuration data separately.
My idea is to have each package provide a list of configurable
paramters with related lists of values and tag a default value as
"default-active". Modifications to any paramter would move the
active flag to the appropriate value, and there would need to be
a way to easily add and remove values (and parameters). There
could also be additional flags like "previously-active", etc.
cfgtool didn't look like it currently had this capability and
makes a point of not being useful for configuring application
preferences. I think such a tool shoul be expanded to include
all configurable settings associated with a package. These
settings, as I said, should be manipulatable by the admin and not
just the package maintainer.
Just my $.02.
Richard G. Roberto
richr@bear.com
011-81-3-3437-7967 - Tokyo, Japan
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