paella
abstract
Paella is system for creating/installing customized debian systems.
There are no current plans for configuration updates on live systems,
that's not it's initial purpose, although it may be extended later.
Paella is still in a planning state, and the configuration ability is
real simple right now.
Inspiration for paella comes from many places:
debconf -- an important abstract configuration system
which is sadly not yet supported by paella (can somebody help
me?)
debconf is fully planned to be supported, i just haven't
figured out the best way to template a debconf template
and whether to crete a flat db, use a dir/db over nfs, or
ldap (which sounds like the best shot, though i'm unfamiliar
with it)
paella is not a replacement for debconf.
fai -- fully automatic install
an excellent installer, with the capability of bootstrapping
an entire network! paella was going to just complement fai,
but I'm starting to prefer the configuration layout i'm
planning,
so paella will probably completely replace fai
Knoppix -- and Morphix, Gnoppix, and other live cd's
paella will eventually be a jigdo-ish like description
of the cd, so it will be easier to construct the cd's
from a local repository, and modify them before creation
OpenZaurus -- and Matt Zimmerman's efforts with debian-handhelds
building oz is a pita, i'm not used to bitkeeper and I can't
find a specific build-root for a specific release. It's like
the
source is available, but not specifically per package. Overall
though, i have found the openzaurus cross compiling solution
to be the most preferable way to build source for an
embedded device. My solution now is to use paella,
and pbuilder (thanks, for the work in getting so many
packages to autobuild! ;)) to define, bootstrap, and control
cross compiling pbuilders with autobuilt toolchains. This
should
make it easier to script autobuilds of an embedded systems,
patches and all :)
Demudi, Debian-Lex, ...
I think paella can be very instrumental in helping configure and
install a custom network on a per network type basis, (i.e. what
machines are on the network and what are there jobs, expected
activities, etc. I am also thinking of networks with custom
configured
roaming pda's, laptops, or whatever can take a debian system
and that is also probably the order i will be working in.
I am aware that customized packages can be made and distributed (like
tasksel and jablicator), but it is not paella's designed purpose to be
used
in that manner. Once paella is done configuring and installing, it
should leave
no trace of itself. The user should be left with a clean, customized
debian
system. This is mainly a tool meant for somebody who is going to be
creating,
configuring, and installing many debian systems.
I have tried to make a common denominator that most of these pojects
share,
but seem to be missing.
My urgent need to get this system working so i can starting earning a
living
with it, has caused to code to wind up a bit sloppy. Sorry.
all of the code is in cvs, the schema has been changing too much for any
kind of release. I would also like to make a request for comments
before making a release, as i don't want to do something really stupid
:). I am still a newbie with the release and versioning stuff.
anyway, the project is at http://sourceforge.net/projects/paella/
btw, paella is like a little bit of everything, with debian as rice.
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