[Freedombox-discuss] Tweaks: Package selections and configuration customizations

[Jonas Smedegaard]

On Thu, Oct 07, 2010 at 11:51:46AM +0200, Christian Brædstrup wrote:
>I have also looked into Config::Model and I like it. It seams easy to 
>use and highly customizable.

I am very happy to learn that others are in love with Config::Model too!


>Jonas, what is in your git repo? I can't read it out of your mail.

Sorry - I was assuming git knowledge.  You clone the git with the 
following command:

   git clone git://source.jones.dk/bin

You can browse the whole git here: http://source.jones.dk/?p=bin.git

Cloning the whole git was just the shortest way to pass it on - you 
really only need the scripts themselves (they do not depend on other 
parts), so you can inspect/download the scripts themselves here:

   http://source.jones.dk/?p=bin.git;a=blob_plain;f=localbackupconfig
   http://source.jones.dk/?p=bin.git;a=blob_plain;f=localbackuppkglists


>Is it a place to collect our config files for different programs?

No, it is just a pile of scripts that I use on my systems - there is an 
sbin git too that I use as /usr/local/sbin on all my systems.

But since you ask: At Debconf4 (ie.e 6 years ago!) I actually created a 
project at Alioth for the very purpose of collecting and organizing 
reusable classes of package selections[1] and configuration 
customizations[2]:

  https://alioth.debian.org/projects/tweaks/

Embarrasingly enough, that project has not really taken off yet.  I have 
thought a lot. And discussed a lot, especially with Skolelinux 
developers and fellow agitators of Debian Pure Blends (which is _not_ 
what simple-CDD produces).

The goal of the Tweaks project is to integrate all parts of itself with 
Debian, and thus become obsolete:

Ideally Debian provides reliable and officially supported mechanisms for 
both low-level configurations and meta hints like "JACK" which would 
expand to a whole range of low-level hints for "enable JACK as default 
when supported, use ALSA if not, and suppress the install of recommended 
packages which supports OSS but neither JACK nor ALSA".

Until Debian matures enough to render Tweaks obsolete, it serves as a 
repository of generalized customization classes - for users to consume, 
and for Debian package maintainers to adopt from.

One possible way to consume Tweaks would be something like "Hands-off": 
http://hands.com/d-i/

Another would be via FAI.

Contributions to Tweaks are package selections and configuration diffs.  
And when it takes off, Config::Model models too!


Please do challenge me: Pass me distillations[3] from above scripts, and 
I shall let it fuel a kickstart of the Tweaks project!


Regards,

  - Jonas


[1] Ideally "package selections" includes also...
  * suppressions of recommended packages.
  * choice of actual package to satisfy a virtual or fallback dependency 
    or recommendation.

[2] Ideally "configuration customizations" includes also...
  * debconf choices
  * debconf non-choices - i.e. distinguish between "I don't care, just
    use the default" and "I choose this which happens to also be the 
    default, and want to keep it even if default later change".
  * other non-file choices - i.e. symlinks and changes to databases and 
    other parts outside of /etc.

[3] Remember to manually check for and obfuscate any and all passwords!

-- 
  * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
  * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

  [x] quote me freely  [ ] ask before reusing  [ ] keep private
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