Re: deploying package with NFS

[Richard Hector <richard@walnut.gen.nz>]

On Tue, 2010-10-19 at 15:50 +1100, Ben Finney wrote:
> Richard Hector <richard@walnut.gen.nz> writes:
> 
> > We've run into an issue here, when we deploy a package (created
> > in-house) on a system that uses NFS for some filesystems. Due to
> > root-squashing, the postinst can't create or chmod/chown the files it
> > needs to.
> 
> You'll likely get better information if you say which paths are
> problematic, and which filesystems are NFS mounted.

True - we mount /var/lib/sitedata, and there is a subdirectory of that
for each website.

> 
> In the meantime, I would guess that either or both of the following are
> true:
> 
> * You're using Debian packaging to install files to paths that really
>   shouldn't be touched by the Debian packaging system.
> 
> * You're root-squashing filesystems that need root access.
> 
> > I was wondering though whether this issue is normally considered when
> > making a package? Or is root just assumed to be able to write
> > anywhere?
> 
> If the files are installed on a host from an OS package, it would be
> best for that host to have the filesystems mounted locally. That must be
> true for at least one host on your network, no?

The host that has it mounted locally does not have the package
installed. We have several webservers in an LVS cluster that need to
access shared data, on a dedicated fileserver.

> > The packages in question are web sites; we find that's the easiest way
> > to deploy them.
> 
> You might simply be using Debian's packaging system for a purpose
> contrary to its design.

True as well. We may well just have to use a local workaround.

I thought it was policy though that several paths are supposed to be
usable when remote mounted (like the whole of /usr, even?) - but perhaps
they can't be root-squashed. Or perhaps all updates are supposed to be
done on the NFS server.

Thanks,

Richard